Animal Rescue Cumbria urges people not to abandon pets at their front door

A Cumbrian animal shelter is urging people not to abandon their pets at their front door, saying they are "absolutely full".

Animal Rescue Cumbria say there is a crisis throughout the UK as more and more people abandon their pets following Covid.

The rescue shelter say it is the third time this year that staff have arrived at work to find abandoned pets.

Speaking to ITV Border, Marion Yates, General Manager at Animal Rescue Cumbria said: "It is the third time it has happened this year.

Marion Yates explains the challenges that rescue centres throughout the UK are facing. Credit: ITV Border

"This is just the tip of a massive iceberg that is affecting shelters across the UK, it really is a crisis.

“We are a shelter that is set up for between 300-350 cats and dogs every year. This year, so far, just nine months in we have had around 420.

"We fully expect by Christmas it will be around 600, almost double our normal quota. With animals just left on the doorstep it is just very disruptive because we are absolutely full.

"We have waiting lists and we would ask people that there is no shame giving up your animal, for some circumstances it can be the best thing you can do for you pet."

The cats were found in a small box and next to a busy road.

Katie Lord is a vet who works at the animal shelter. She said: "We don’t know their disease status or their neuter status, we don’t know how old they are and that means we need to do a full clinical exam.

"They come in and we give them a clinical exam and then isolate them until they are fully vaccinated.

“They just need some time to realise this is a nice warm place where they get food and the people are nice. Some stay timid and some get confident and have massive characters."

The animal rescue centre in Cumbria is currently full. Credit: ITV Border

And for Marion Yates, she has noticed a direct correlation between Covid and the surge of people abandoning pets.

She said: "For dogs with the last decade before Covid there were between about 8-10 million dogs in circulation and post Covid that went up to 13 million.

"Suddenly there was this extra few million, everyone seemed to be getting cats and dogs and veterinary care if things do go wrong can be so expensive.

"We have had a lot of animals come in with compromised health."

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