Animal rescuers at the RSPCA have appealed for information after a dog was found tied to the gates of their kennels - with no explanation why.
The black male Staffordshire bull terrier was found tied to the gates in Wallasey in Merseyside yesterday (April 6), the Liverpool Echo reports. He was attached to a blue lead and harness.
As the charity urged anyone who knew who the dog belonged to to come forward, a fierce debate was sparked on the RSPCA Wirral's Facebook page. Many tried to make sense of why the dog was abandoned, while some blamed the cost of living crisis.
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Judy Wilkinson said: "I wonder how hard it was for the dog to watch his owner walk away and not return. A dog loves you more than itself.
"It’s loyalty goes beyond any love a human being can give. They are not rubbish that can be disposed of in any situation, they are living loving souls and each time they are abandoned their hearts are broken.
"Dogs are for life, not until there’s a problem. You wouldn’t tie your children to a fence if you couldn’t afford it and walk away, so why do it to a dog? It’s not shameful to ask for help but it is downright shameful and heartbreaking to dump a defenceless dog and walk away."
Katie Mundy said: "What a beautiful dog, will never know how someone could tie up their dog and walk away, even if circumstances change at least have the decency to get them rehomed instead of dumping."
Other people cited the cost of living crisis, soaring energy bills, food costs and real-terms wage cuts, as a possible explanation for the dog being tied up.
Cat Stevens said: "Unfortunately as a result of the cost of living increase, the RSPCA is going to deal with more abandoned pets. It’s heartbreaking many owners probably don’t want to do this and feel ashamed to admit they are struggling financially. More than ever the RSPCA will need more support from their supporters so they can help dogs like this."
Terri Ward said: "I agree this dog should not be dumped but without knowing the owner's reasons I'm not going to judge, but at least they didn't just let it loose. Who's to say it wasn't getting beaten and one partner decided to save it, or a family who might love their dog but are struggling to feed themselves so don't want their pet to suffer. Who's to say they not been evicted and that's the reason.
"I think where these people went wrong was by tying it and not taking it in and giving information on the dog, like age, health, friendly, brought up with kids, other pets, etc. I could never dream giving my dogs away but I'm not in a position where I had to make that choice and I would hope I would never have to be, but I am not going to judge when I don't know their reasons."
An RSPCA Wirral spokesman said: "We don’t know that someone hasn’t found him and an owner is looking for him."
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