RSPCA launch Christmas appeal to prevent thousands of cruelty incidents

The RSPCA’s Kindness at Christmas appeal has been launched to help thousands of animals facing neglect and cruelty this festive season.

Within the south east, which constitutes Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Surrey, West Sussex and Oxfordshire, 366 reports of animal neglect were reported during the three days of Christmas, December 24 to December 26, with 31 calls from within Oxfordshire alone.

Nationally the animal charity expects to take in around 19,000 animals in need this December and January and desperately needs your help to care for them.

From ill or unwanted pets dumped on the streets to animals and wildlife deliberately cruelly treated, RSPCA inspectors are preparing to see heartbreaking cruelty and neglect this festive season and hope this years appeal will see people being kinder to our fluffy friends.

RSPCA superintendent Simon Osborne said: “It’s a sad fact that every day at work throughout the year can be tough for our inspectors and animal welfare and collection officers, but winter really does come with its own challenges and issues.

“In fact, we expect to take in somewhere in the region of 19,000 animals this winter alone.

He added: ““During the festive season alone last year, we rescued over 25,000 animals, many of whom had been cruelly abandoned, injured or abused.

“But we also saw so many acts of kindness by animal lovers, from the passer-by who rescued a shivering and sick puppy days before Christmas, to those who reported suffering animals to our cruelty hotline or volunteers caring for animals in our centres and branches.

“We are asking animal lovers across the country to show kindness this Christmas by supporting our winter appeal.”

To help the RSPCA to continue rescuing, rehabilitating and re-homing animals in desperate need ofcare, and to support the charity’s ‘kindness’ campaign, visit www.rspca.org.uk/winterappeal.