Overview
- Abandonment reports in England and Wales reached 24,270 by the end of October, up from 19,727 in the same period last year, which the RSPCA calls an epidemic.
- The charity says its emergency line logged an abandonment roughly every nine minutes during the first ten months of 2025, with totals on track to be the highest in at least six years.
- Recent cases underline the severity, including a critically ill terrier left in a sports bag outside Finsbury Park Animal Hospital and kittens tied to a fence in Shropshire.
- Local data show year‑on‑year rises across multiple areas, such as Worcestershire (225 incidents vs 196), West Yorkshire (900+ reports), and Cambridgeshire (264 vs 260).
- Expecting conditions to worsen over the colder months after 5,902 winter incidents last year, the RSPCA has launched the Big Give Back to Animals to support frontline rescue work.