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by Dave Nicol Originally Posted Dec 2002
We live in a fast food, convenience driven disposable society where even personal relations seem to have an increasingly ephemeral worth. We pose the question: Is that most special of bonds - the pet owner relationship - now also under threat?
The Facts
Each year over the Christmas period the RSPCA receive over 3000 calls relating to abandoned pets. At face value this seems a large number but when compared with the 1,500,000 calls the society receives annually it represents a mere 0.2% of the society's workload.
Many of these calls turn out to be 'false alarms'. In fact, of the three thousand calls, only a few result in prosecutions. Official figures from 2001 show that only 60 cases were brought before the courts, which is an improvement on the previous year's figure of 75.
Perhaps a more worrying abuse of pets has recently been publicised in the USA. Pet shelters report a rise in the number of black cats abandoned after the Halloween celebration. It would seem that to some people, black cats are now viewed as a disposable seasonal fashion accessory. Trick rather than treat for these poor animals. One hopes this remains an American phenomenon.
Public Perception
Pet abandonment is always an emotive issue during the festive season. The reason for this is almost certainly the manner in which some of these hapless creatures are heartlessly dumped by irresponsible owners. Our national outrage engendered by such stories means that the media are always keen to report these cases though on the positive side it undoubtedly helps to reinforce the message that dumping pets is wrong.
The issue is inflamed on occasions. Clarissa Baldwin, Chief Executive of the National Canine Defense League, made the following statement (which makes reference to the number of stray dogs that are euthanased each year):
'It is the irresponsible owners who have effectively murdered over 12,900 healthy dogs. As long as this continues we have no right to describe ourselves as a nation of animal lovers.'
The RSPCA however believe their campaigns concerning responsible pet ownership have been successful, commenting, 'We don't hear of many people giving pets as presents - I think the message does get through to the majority of the public'.
Marvellous news! But why would anyone abandon a pet in the first place?
The Hidden Cost of Responsible Pet Ownership
Pet abandonment is not just a yuletide phenomenon, in fact most pets bought as Christmas presents are not abandoned until much later the following year. The RSPCA citing the 'loss of cuteness' as the immature pet grows up, or the display by pets of 'more natural behaviour' as they develop; as the most common reasons for dumping pets given as presents.
Away from the festive period the list of reasons for abandonment include:
- Elderly or infirm animals (hygiene problems)
- Ill animals (terminally ill or expensive treatment required)
- Changes in owner circumstances (new children, redundancy, new pets)
- Pet behavioural problems (destructive or aggressive animals)
Do any of these reasons excuse the abandonment of a dependent member of the family? Not in a million years. Whatever the reason, dumping your problem (pet) onto the street is utterly reprehensible; a practice which no pet owner with a strand of moral fibre would ever consider.
The Verdict
Although I stumbled upon a number of unpleasant reports of pet abandonment whilst researching this article, I am pleasantly surprised that the problem appears to be much less severe than I originally thought.
As always it's the actions of a few irresponsible members of society that have a disproportionate effect of our perception of the problem. The vast majority of pets enjoy a privileged place in or hearts and homes.
References
The sources used to research this article are available from the press offices of the RSPCA and the NCDL respectively.
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External Link
www.rescuepet.org.uk - If you ever lose your pet or wish to give a stray dog a home, then visit this site. 'Rescue pet' is a non-profit organisation which houses a huge database of stray animals. Check out their site today.
