Pleasing 4 Pets

The RSPCA embarked on a considerable rescue operation at kennels in Brigstock recently after being contacted by a concerned dog owner whose pet was staying at the facility which had been abandoned.

As a result of the operation RSPCA officers were able to rescue in excess of 100 dogs, 98 of which were the St Bernard breed, from the Wardana Kennels and Cattery in Nottinghamshire.

One of the dogs found at the kennels was so sick that it had to be out down, and another unfortunately died as RSPCA vets fought to save its life.

Many of the animals at the kennels were housed in locked cages and it is thought that they hadn’t received food or water for a considerable time.

The kennels were being managed by Mary-Ellen Collis, a past Crufts winner, but the RSPCA have not been able to contact her and her whereabouts remain unknown.

The alarm was sounded by a Kettering man who had been attempting to contact the facility to arrange to visit his pet dog, Benson. David Nolan went to the kennels after he was unable to contact the owner by telephone. On his arrival Mr Nolan immediately contacted the local police authorities who in turn contacted the RSPCA.

He explained :-

“I was just concerned for my animal and eventually I had had enough.

It was horrific. I saw my dog, a Staffordshire bull terrier, and he looked like a Jack Russell because he was so thin.

I walked straight past him and only recognised him by the sounds he made.”

Attempts made by the RSPCA and the police to contact Ms Collis remain unsuccessful.

A great number of UK citizens accept that it costs a certain amount to maintain and care for their pets, and most of them regard it as money well spent.

Disappointingly, when some pet owners encounter financial difficulties, a number of them take it for granted that their pets ought to be the primary outlay that they cut out when their animal companion’s basic requirements appear too costly.

It is distressing to imagine that in these situations individuals will turn their backs on their pets and abandon them but this appears to be increasingly more frequent than you might believe.

Animal rescue centres across the country are being inundated with abandoned pets and some are even appealing for compassionate and caring animal lovers to offer short term foster homes to animals that have been discarded by their previous owners.

Dogs in particular seem to be suffering at the hands of the nationwide credit crunch. Dog shelters in Gloucester are reported to be filled to capacity and with operating costs increasing rapidly thanks to escalating energy bills some are struggling to cope with the demand in shelter for abandoned canines.

One manager at a Rescue Centre in Gloucester said recently:

“We’ve had more dogs in this year than ever before and there has been a definite rise in the last few weeks. There’s no doubt that it is down to the credit crunch. People just can’t afford to keep their dogs anymore; they’re just dumping them on the streets.”

The RSPCA are imploring pet owners to seek out support from themselves and other animal charities rather than affect suffering on their animals by neglecting them or abandoning them due to financial hardship.