Lucky Mia has found her forever home with clinic coordinator at Putney Animal Hospital

What a difference 8 months make

RSPCA gets call about dumped animal every 6 minutes
*Regional figures* RSPCA braces for summer abandonment crisis as it rescues one abandoned pet every hour

One luck pup Mia, now named Sienna-Blue, was abandoned in Hanwell Cemetery in Westminster in July last year. She was found amongst the headstones by a kind member of the public who contacted the RSPCA.

She was taken to RSPCA Putney Animal Hospital for some care and attention where clinic coordinator Jake Holliday met and fell in love with her. Now at 10 months old she has found her forever home with Jake and his partner Rhys Jones.

Jake takes Sienna-Blue to work with him everyday and says she is a clever, friendly and well-behaved dog who has so much love to give.

He said: “We don’t know if she even remembers being abandoned as she was so young but you can’t help but think it has had some effect on her. When you’re sitting with her she has to be physically touching you with a paw or resting her head on my lap - she’s so affectionate and needs attention.

“She always gets excited when she gets to see Mike, the inspector who rescued her. I don’t know if she remembers him as the man who rescued her but it’s clear that she definitely has a soft spot for him.”

Sienna’s sad start in life was set to become even sadder when she was assessed by the police as potentially being a Pitbull terrier type dog, banned under Section One of the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Jake explained: “She’s due to have another assessment soon to determine whether she is a section one dog or not. This would usually mean poor Sienna would be put to sleep based simply on the way she looks. As a friendly and much-loved dog this would just be absolutely heartbreaking but thankfully because of my experience and the job I do, I am able to keep her. If she is typed she will need to wear a muzzle at all times when she is in public.”

Jake added: “I’ve always campaigned against Breed Specific Legislation in the past. I knew before I met Sienna that every dog is an individual and now that we have Sienna, although I never planned on it, it feels like fate.”

The oldest and biggest animal welfare charity in England and Wales is expecting to see a huge rise in calls about abandoned pets, some dumped in boxes, thrown in bins or left on the side of roads.

Last year there were 10 animals reported every single hour throughout June, July and August which equates to 23,673 animals over the summer period. This is an increase of at least 85% on the number of animals reported abandoned during the colder months.

Dermot Murphy, RSPCA’S Chief Inspectorate Officer, said: “Sadly, we see a dramatic increase in the number of animals abandoned in the summer. From unwanted newborn kittens and puppies dumped in boxes and bins, exotic pets cast aside or horses abandoned in someone else’s field, dumped like rubbish.

“There is never an excuse to abandon an animal in this way and we would urge anyone who is struggling to cope with their pets to contact us or other charities for help. Our pets are sentient beings and great companions who rely on us for their health and happiness so dumping them like an old mobile phone or a piece of rubbish should never be the answer.

“The peak in animals being abandoned in the summer puts a massive strain on our inspectors, animal centres and branches who are left picking up the pieces when an animal is dumped.”

It is not clear why the figures rise so dramatically in the warmer months but it may be that abandoned animals are more visible when people are out and about, that people feel less guilty about leaving them alone when the weather is warmer or even that some people dump their pets when they go away on holiday and have nowhere for them to go.

Number of abandoned animals reported in the South East in summer 2018:
Greater London 1,696
Surrey 276

It costs the RSPCA nearly £30,000 to run an animal centre, providing vet care, food, toys and comfort to needy animals, every month. To help the RSPCA continue to rescue animals like Rolo and Mia please visit www.rspca.org.uk/summercrisis

July 4, 2019