The number of animals abandoned across England and Wales has soared by 57 per cent, and the problem seems to be getting even worse, latest RSPCA figures reveal.
We dealt with 11,586 dumped animals last year, a shocking average of more than 30 animals abandoned every day of the year, compared to 7,347 abandoned animals in 2007.
The number of abandoned cats rose by 50 per cent in 2008, while dogs increased by nearly a third.
And the trend seems set to continue as figures from the first two months of 2009 show a further 1,432 animals abandoned.
http://www.rspca.org.uk/I was upset by this when I first read, horrible owners, how could they do it etc. But though not in any way condoning their actions can I have a moan about vets who (I know they are private) charge what seem to me extorniate fees and, with exceptions, don't always give very good care. As I understand it most of the drugs they prescribe have something like a 500% markup and I certainly was involved in one vet (not in Westbury) prescribing an unnecessary and very expensive tablet, which when I went to another vets was changed to something much, much cheaper. I don't expect them to work for free but they don't seem well regulated and some people are obviously going to wonder whether their accessory pet (not the genuine pet lovers) is worth hundreds of pounds if it falls sick. And if you have a pony you could be talking thousands.
