Deepening cost-of-living crisis pushes Britons to give up pets

Harriet, a black English cocker spaniel, has been left behind as an increasing number of Britons are being forced to give up their pets due to the country's spiralling cost of living issue. She is standing on her hind legs to greet any potential owner who might approach her glass-doored kennel.

She was one of 206 dogs and 164 cats now being cared for at rehoming centres run by the Battersea animal charity. She was discovered running along a major road in London after witnesses witnessed her being tossed out of a car.

Similar stories can be found in other centres across the nation, some of which have experienced a record number of inquiries for dog and cat returns as a result of the country's tightest living standards since at least the 1960s, which has led many owners to conclude that the cost of additional food and hefty medical expenses are no longer manageable.

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Due to their requirement for specialised heating and lighting, exotic pets like snakes and lizards are also proving to be prohibitively expensive. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) informed Reuters that three snakes, including an 8-foot (2.4-metre) boa constrictor, were recently left in pillow cases outside a reptile shop.

The rise, which comes as households prepare for energy costs to more than treble in January compared to last year, pounding people's earnings, follows a spike in demand for pets during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in a nation known for its love of animals. Britain will have a protracted recession, the Bank of England has warned.

(with inputs from agencies)