Bristol Animal Shelter says its seen surge in pet owners facing financial hardship during the cost of living crisis. And it has seen animals being dumped by their owners.
A Bristol Animal Rescue Centre spokesperson said “We’re seeing a surge in demand for our community outreach vet services, which provides low or free vet care for owners facing financial hardship.”
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But despite help being available, animals are being dumped around the city. One such case is Sienna the dachshund, who was found in a park in the south of the city, in a plastic cat carrier, petrified of anything and anyone who came near her.
Animal home manager at ARC Jodie Hayward said: “Sienna was, understandably, traumatised when she got to us. We don’t know how long she had been in there, but she was afraid to come out. Our behaviour team had to be very gentle with her at first while we worked to win her trust.”
On arrival at the centre, Sienna was found to be underweight, weighing 5.2kg. After being placed on a feeding plan and given some medication, she got to a more healthy weight of 6kg.
Workers soon found that while she struggled to trust humans, Sienna was comfortable around other dogs. Her carer Rachel said: “Sienna is a sensitive soul but she has grown in confidence during her time with us and now shows her playful and inquisitive side. She seems to very much like other dogs and is much braver when she has a friend. Sienna walks nicely on lead and settles well on her own. She loves a good cuddle once she knows you, but does take a bit of time to warm up to new people, especially in new places.”
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Sienna has now found a new home with one of the carers from the centre. But not every dog is as lucky. The centre relies heavily on public funding and donations especially now as more dogs and other pets are brought into the centre.
In the UK, around 34% of households own a dog, making that around 10 million homes. During the Covid lockdowns, the number of people getting dogs rose significantly, with thousands getting pets to give them some company. However, according to figures from the RSPCA, there has been a national rise in how many animals are being dumped each year, with a 24% increase in 2022 so far.
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