Exotic pets like snakes and lizards are also proving to be too expensive because they require specialized heating and lighting, in addition to cats and dogs.
Harriet, a Black English cocker spaniel, has been left behind as an increasing number of Britons are being forced to give up their pets due to the country’s spiraling cost of living issue. She is standing on her hind legs to greet any potential owner who might approach her glass-doored kennel.
She was one of 206 dogs and 164 cats now being cared for at rehoming centers run by the Battersea animal charity. She was discovered running along a major road in London after witnesses witnessed her being tossed out of a car.
Similar stories can be found in other centers across the nation, some of which have experienced a record number of inquiries for dog and cat returns as a result of the country’s tightest living standards since at least the 1960s, which has led many owners to conclude that the cost of additional food and hefty medical expenses are no longer manageable.
The manager of the southwest London facility, Steve Craddock, expressed fear that this might become a more common cause for people to bring their pets in.
Due to their requirement for specialized heating and lighting, exotic pets like snakes and lizards are also proving to be prohibitively expensive.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported that three snakes, including an 8-foot (2.4-meter) boa constrictor, were recently left in pillow cases outside of a reptile store.
The rise, which comes as households prepare for energy costs to more than treble in January compared to last year, pounding people’s earnings, follows a spike in demand for pets during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in a nation known for its love of animals.
Britain will have a protracted recession, the Bank of England has warned.
A NEW FISCAL CRISIS
Dogs Trust reported that the last time it had seen anything similar was in the wake of the 2008 financial meltdown. Currently, there are 692 dogs in need of homes across 21 centers in the country, according to Dogs Trust.
Adam Clowes, the Trust’s operations director, said, “This cost-of-living catastrophe has sneaked up on us a lot more swiftly than anybody ever thought.”
The pressure is so great that the nonprofit organization is debating whether to extend access to an emergency support fund, which is typically only available to those receiving welfare payments that require temporary financial assistance in order to maintain their dogs.
Although they have not yet noticed it, animal organizations say they are also concerned that the squeeze on living standards may have an effect on donations.
Some animals are being rehomed at Battersea. British shorthair cat Magpie gave birth to kittens after her two-year owner realized they couldn’t afford them. Her four kittens have all since been adopted into new homes.
However, based on reports from another charity, Woodgreen, adoption requests for animals have decreased to a few hundred per month from almost 10,000 during lockdowns; it seems unlikely that this is the case for the majority of animals.
Assistant editor Pilar Gómez-Igbo was one possible owner, but after doing some study, she is now concerned about the added expenses.
She answered, “Yes, it joined the list of things to really consider when the change in living costs becomes clearer. “I’ll force myself to wait a bit.”
