Holiday pet gift crisis for RSPCA (From Preston and Leyland Citizen)

Holiday pet gift crisis for RSPCA

11:53am Thursday 26th April 2007

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Abandoned pets which were given as gifts at Easter have led the RSPCA centre in Preston to make an appeal for people to give them a home.

Guinea pigs, rabbits, and hundreds of cats and dogs have been handed into the centre in Longridge Road, Ribbleton, in the past few weeks.

Vanessa Williamson, manager of the centre, said: "Most of the animals have been dumped after the Easter period. It seems that they must have been given as gifts but then they've just been abandoned.

"They're all very loving animals who just need a good home where they're going to be cared for."

One of the dogs, recently rescued by the centre is four-year-old Miss Muffin, a little terrier brought in by the wardens earlier this month, who has since undergone an operation on her ear to remove a tumour. She is recovering well, and now needs a caring home.

The rescue centre faced controversy earlier this year after two separate attacks by dogs there left youngsters needing medical treatment.

Sixteen-year-old Emily Scott was attacked by a pit bull terrier while she was cleaning out its kennel on February 9 and a seven-year-old boy was mauled by an American bulldog on March 25 as he and his family looked for a pet at the centre.

Mrs Williamson denies the attacks are the reason for the increase in animals at the centre.She said: "It's because youngsters are not interested in small animals these days because of computer games where they can look after animals on a screen."

The appeal follows the launch of RSPCA week, th society's largest annual fundraising and awareness campaign. Committee members and volunteers from the Preston centre will be fundraising at the Tesco supermarkets in Leyland and Chorley, until Friday April 27.

The animal centre is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 11am to 3.30pm, call 01772 792553.

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