Credit crunch puts pets at risk

Pet owners in south Wales are giving up their animals because of the recession, a leading local vet reports.

Porth and Newport-based Budget Vets has witnessed an increasing number of pets being dumped by struggling families who can no longer to afford the spiraling costs of caring for their animals.

In recent weeks, both practices have seen a sharp rise in abandoned pets, the most recent being a box of kittens at its Porth surgery. Veterinary nurses found the four week old black and white kittens in an empty cardboard box with no blanket or food. They were believed to have been dumped overnight.

On finding the all boy litter, clinic director Peter Heathcote said: “It is a sad fact that more and more pets are being abandoned by their owners due to the credit crunch and this most recent desertion is a prime example. The kittens were left on our doorstep during the night and we found them in the morning.

“We are at least grateful that their owner dumped them on our doorstep and not in a skip, which sadly does happen. However, it is really important that people don’t just neglectfully abandon animals. Not only could the kittens, two of which have eye infections, have escaped and risked being run over but due to the freezing weather conditions they could have easily died due to the harsh overnight temperatures.”

Peter believes that there is increasing risk of more animals like the kittens being abandoned as families look to cut back on added expenses such as veterinary bills and insurance: “Many people are looking to reduce their outgoings and unfortunately it is their pets which suffer. The vet can often be seen as a costly expense, especially when faced with routine operations such as neutering. However it is these routine procedures which help prevent unwanted litters and unwanted kittens being left on doorsteps.”

If you are a pet owner facing difficulties, please contact Budget Vets on 01633 855825 or visit www.budgetvets.co.uk

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