Surge in animal rescues as cost of living crisis continues to hammer Scotland
THERE has been a surge in the amount of animals are arriving at Scottish SPCA shelters, latest figures from the animal charity have revealed.
Last year saw a leap of 25 per cent in the animals coming into their care.
Disturbingly, almost three-quarters of these animals required immediate veterinary treatment, in many cases due to intentional abuse but increasingly due to unintentional harm as owners can no longer afford veterinary treatment.
The charity is warning that as Scotland continues to face an animal welfare crisis, more support than ever is needed in communities across the country, with some 43 per cent of people who contacted the Scottish SPCA in 2023 to discuss having to give up their animal citing financial circumstances as a reason.
In addition to the surge in animal arrivals, the charity has also experienced a concerning 10 per cent rise in calls to its free helpline, with more than a quarter of a million calls in 2023 (277,911).
The Scottish SPCA has released these new figures in a new report highlighting its work in 2023 to rescue and rehabilitate thousands of pets, wild animals and farmed animals, at a time when the charity, like many organisations across the country, has seen the cost of delivering its services spiral as rising energy bills, food and veterinary costs all increase.
Of the 25 per cent increase in arrivals to the Scottish SPCA’s animal rescue and rehoming centres across Scotland, with 6944 animals taken into the charity’s care, 4404 of these required veterinary treatment.
A total of 787 animals were brought into the Aberdeen centre and the charity rehomed 484 animals across Scotland from there.
One well-loved six-year-old dog called Bentley arrived at the charity’s Aberdeen Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre after his owners could not afford to treat his skin problems and allergies. They had to make the heart-breaking decision to give up their beloved animal simply because of the cost of his medical care. The Scottish SPCA has since successfully found a loving new home with another family for Bentley.
In the same year, the charity’s pioneering Pet Aid service worked with 56 food banks across Scotland (which as of June 2024 has now increased to 71), providing regular supplies of pet food essentials to help people struggling to make ends meet who would otherwise face the prospect of giving up their animal. The service helped more than 400 people each month across the year.
The charity is now piloting an innovative sister service to Pet Aid offering community veterinary support to help keep people and their pets together and reduce the need for animals to come into the Scottish SPCA’s care.
Scottish SPCA Chief Executive Kirsteen Campbell said: “It’s clear from our latest annual figures that animals across Scotland have never needed us more.
“It is heart-breaking to see so many animals come to us because their owners simply can no longer cope or make ends meet.The animal welfare crisis and cost of living crisis go hand in hand and it’s also costing us more than ever as a charity to do what we do.
“We’re determined to be here for animals in the ways they need us today and in the future. We’ve introduced new services and changed the way we work in communities across Scotland so that we can help as many people and animals as possible to stay together.
“But thousands more animals are still coming through our doors every year and we want to be there for all of them. We can only do that with help and it costs us more to help the animals who need us than the money we are raising, so every penny counts.”
In 2023 the Scottish SPCA also rehomed 3881 animals to loving new homes, fostered 459 animals, and treated 5163 wild animals. The charity launched 310 special investigations including 113 investigations into low welfare puppy dealers.
