British RSPCA: 46,949 animals adopted in 2016
By Jocylin FC
Owning a pet is a popular option among households in the United Kingdom. The population of pets is estimated to be around 54 million in the UK, according to Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association. 12 million households in the UK have pets. Although there are many ways to get a pet, adoption is widely encouraged to reduce the number of strays and overcrowded shelters. Major British animal welfare organisations such as Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), The Dog Trust and Cats Protection advocate for adoption actively over the years.
According to RSPCA, the largest animal charity in UK, 129,602 animals were rescued and collected in 2016. Their animal centres and branches rehomed 46,949 animals in the same year.
Cat Protection, the country’s leading feline welfare charity, helped 190,000 cats and kittens and rehomed 43,000 cats in 2016.
The Dog Trust foundation, a major UK dog charity, rehomed 13,067 dogs and experienced 21% increased of calls from potential pet owners who wish to adopt a dog in 2016.
When it comes to animal adoption and rehoming, it is hard to ignore the problems of pet abandonment and euthanasia that challenge the shelter. A 2015 survey conducted by a German-based market research expert GFK found that in the UK, 47,596 dogs were heartlessly left behind in council pounds, where they remained unclaimed by their owners. Among the 102,363 stray and abandoned dogs that were handled by Local Authorities, 5,142 stray dogs were put to sleep between 2014 and 2015, which is one dog every two hours.
Euthanasia in the shelter has sparked heated debates and scandals. In 2012, British RSPCA was wrapped in the scandal of putting down 3,400 animals for no space in the shelters even though they did not have any medical conditions. However, things are turning around in the recent years. The Dog Trust 2016 report estimated 33% fewer dogs were put down by local authorities in the UK from 2015-2016.
Unfortunately, there is no specific data on animal adoption in London. All data and numbers are nation-wide from UK based animal welfare organisations.
