Wetheral charity warns animal welfare in crisis as cost of living leaves pet owners struggling

An animal charity in Cumbria is warning of an animal welfare crisis as pet owners struggle with the rising cost of living.

Oak Tree Animals' Charity has seen a significant increase in the number of pets being given up this year due to financial reasons.

Between January and July the number of animals which had been taken to the shelter due to financial hardship had increased by 500% compared to the same period last year.

According to the charity pet owners cannot afford feed their animals and donations to the centre have dropped as people do not have as much disposable income.

It also said rising costs associated with animals have meant less people feel able to rehome animals.

It comes as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) announced on Wednesday 20 July that UK inflation reached a 40-year high.

The rate of Consumer Prices Index inflation rose to an annual rate of 9.4% in June - up from 9.1% in May, the ONS has said.

It means inflation in Britain remains at the highest level since February 1982.

Oak Tree Animals' Charity is also seeing a rise in the number of pets being taken in that were brought in lockdown.

Under socialised and untrained dogs are being abandoned in near recorded numbers, with numbers double what they were in 2021.

In the period January- July more than 30% of dogs had been left at the animal shelter because of behavioural reasons. These include barking and lunging at other animals.

This is something Oak Tree Animals' Charity said is an effect of under socialisation which often links back to lockdown when owners were unable to take their pets out.