RSPCA Peanut the lurcher puppy left for dead under a bush in Essex

Discarding cherished cats and dogs because nobody can look after them during the holiday season has put the RSPCA on alert for an abandonment crisis over coming months. The animal welfare charity says it is bracing itself for a spike in pet dumping – with one animal an hour being left on the scrapheap because they are no longer wanted. Already this year, the RSPCA has witnessed a litany of tragic abandonments, with some owners happy to leave their pets for dead. Among the most disturbing cases were:

• Maverick the Staffordshire Bull Terrier abandoned in London Victoria coach station when his owners could not take him on holiday with them • Bertie the Yorkshire terrier dumped with matted fur in a wheelie bin in Essex • Peanut the lurcher puppy left for dead under a bush in Essex • Brody the bulldog tied up and dumped outside RSPCA Harmsworth Hospital • Rose the English bull terrier found drowning in a pond

Last year the RSPCA rescued 9,069 animals – with July by the far the worst month with 1,087 abandonments. The charity says a contributing factor of people dumping their animals in the summer months is down to “some owners heading off on holiday and not finding anyone to look after their pet while they are away.” For RSPCA Superintendent Simon Obsorne this kind of behaviour flies in the face of the traditional belief that the Festive Season was the time of year for unwanted pets. RSPCA Supt Simon Osborne said: “People often think that Christmas is the time we see the most abandoned animals but it is actually the summer.

GETTY Last July was by the far the worst month with 1,087 abandonments

“In the summer months the number of dumped animals we rescue spikes up in number, with one animal being collected every hour on average.

These poor animals are often just dumped without a care for their welfare Simon Obsorne

“Every day our inspectors face cases where animals have been left abandoned in fields, dumped in boxes, left for dead at the side of roads and even left outside our animal centres and hospitals. “It is just heartbreaking. These poor animals are often just dumped without a care for their welfare or what might happen to them.” Finding reasons for pets suddenly being turfed out to fend for themselves or left for charities to take responsibility baffles even experienced animal welfare workers. Sadly, leaving stretched organisations dependent on public support to provide urgent veterinary care for sick or injured animals only puts more strain on vital resources.