Pet neglect rises 26% in East Yorkshire

East Yorkshire has seen one of the biggest increases of pet neglect in the last year, figures from the RSPCA show.

Between January and September, 640 incidents of animal neglect were reported in the county, a 26% increase from the same period in 2023.

Nationally, the RSPCA said there had been a 25% increase of pet neglect in the last year, with the emergency line taking a call every four minutes.

The charity said the increase in East Yorkshire was the fifth largest in the country and it was concerned the problem could get worse due to financial hardship at Christmas.

The RSPCA believes the statistics are due to an increase in pet ownership during Covid-19 and rising living costs.

The information was released as part of the charity's campaign, Join the Christmas Rescue, which aims to support frontline staff who work to save animals during the festive period.

RSPCA Superintendent Jo Hirst said: "The large 25% increase in the number of pet neglect calls we are taking is a major concern during our busy winter period when many people are facing more financial difficulties, and we fear this upsetting trend will continue.

"One call every four minutes is a frightening statistic. Coupled with this we have also seen a startling increase in abandonment cases up 30% in just three years.

"Sadly we expect the crisis to worsen as more people tend to struggle with increased costs around Christmas time with presents to buy and extra food shopping - along with energy bills."

Ms Hirst is encouraging the public to support its appeal, Join The Christmas Rescue, which she said would help to get animals the urgent treatment and care they need.

Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.