REPORTS of animals being abandoned have sky-rocketed in Essex this year – with local incidents raised with the RSPCA up by almost 16% in the first ten months of the year, ahead of a potentially “grim” Winter for pets.

Up to the end of October, 605 incidents about an animal being abandoned or dumped in Essex had been raised with the charity’s emergency line – up from 523 in the first 10 months of 2024.

And with charity rescuers braced for a further surge in reports over the Winter months, the RSPCA has launched an urgent appeal – The Big Give Back to Animals – in the hope of raising vital funds for its frontline officers.

The charity fears for animals across Essex over the Winter season with “plummeting temperatures and dark nights” placing animals at even greater risk from abandonment.

Across England and Wales, 24,270 abandonment incidents have been reported so far this year – a rise of almost 23 percent compared with the same time period last year (19,727).

That means – in the first ten months of this year – an abandonment incident was reported to the RSPCA’s emergency line every nine minutes it was open.

Last Winter (Nov-Jan), 5,902 incidents of animal abandonment were raised with the charity – and there are fears the upward trend of cases is set to continue in the coming months. There were 117 abandonment incidents last Winter in Essex alone.

Reports of animal abandonment will this year reach their highest point in at least six years –  and issues like the ongoing cost of living crisis mean animals need the RSPCA’s support to “survive, heal and thrive” now more than ever.

RSPCA superintendent Simon Osborne said: “It’s been an incredibly challenging year for many pets, and we have seen a dramatic and heartbreaking rise in abandonments this year.

“And with Winter upon us, with plummeting temperatures and dark nights, we fear things could get even harder in the months to come.

“Sadly, animal abandonment has become so problematic and so tragically widespread, that we’ve seen more incidents every month this year when compared to 2024; and reports have been rising year after year. 

“There’s an epidemic of animal abandonment and neglect, meaning our officers are needed now more than ever to respond to those animals in the most urgent need of help.”

Two tortoises found dumped in Harlow

In March, two dead tortoises were found dumped in woodland in Harlow.

The bodies were found by a concerned member of the public on 11 March in Peterswood – with one inside a green and white plastic shopping bag and the other inside an orange shoebox.

RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Nick Jonas said at the time: “It is really upsetting to think these two tortoises have been dumped like a piece of rubbish. “What is even more heartbreaking is that the shoebox had air holes stabbed in it – suggesting that the tortoise may well have been alive when left.”

Tortoises may look resilient and tough on the outside, but they are totally reliant on their owners to provide the correct environment for the species, including heating and lighting, and an appropriate diet.

Grim picture – and a tricky Winter ahead

And countless more animals need help.

Overall in 2024, there were 23,564 abandonment incidents reported to the RSPCA – higher than in 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020.

And that “depressing” trend will continue in 2025 – with calls already higher than the whole of 2024, and spiking amid the challenging backdrop of the cost of living crisis, economic uncertainty and people’s increasingly busy lives.

Urgent funding needed to keep reaching animals

Rising numbers of calls is placing added pressure on RSPCA officers on the frontline.

The Big Give Back to Animals is raising vital funds for the charity, helping them to bring more abandoned and neglected animals to safety, where they can be given urgent care and treatment.

Simon added: “Times are tough, right now – and animals are paying the price. Reports of abandonment are set to reach their highest mark in at least six years, and the worst could be yet to come as we enter a grim Winter period.

“But animals are sentient; they feel joy, fear, love and pain, just like we do. They give us so much, and ask for so little. Sadly, without help, many animals will die this winter – scared, suffering, and unloved.

“Thankfully, there is hope – and I am so proud of the RSPCA’s efforts to help dumped pets survive, heal and thrive, and go onto a better life. Every year, we find loving new homes for tens of thousands of pets, and rescue countless animals from situations of hopeless cruelty and neglect.

“But none of this work is possible without the kindness and generosity of our supporters. Every pound and penny people give goes towards creating a better world for every kind of animal.”

More information on the RSPCA’s ‘Big Give Back to Animals’ can be found on the charity’s website.

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