Cost of living crisis forcing more animal owners to give up their pets

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In a career spanning almost two decades with Scotland’s leading animal charity, Lanarkshire senior animal care assistant Janet Kirkpatrick says she’s never seen it so busy.She cites the cost of living crisis, poverty and mental health struggles as among the factors that lead people to feel that they’ve no option other than to part with their pets.At the Scottish SPCA’s animal rescue and rehoming centre on Hamilton’s Bothwell Road, its kennels are at capacity, housing 110 dogs.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Yet, in the past year in the Lanarkshire area alone, the centre has rehomed no fewer than 1000 animals – an outstanding success rate and a feather in the cap of the Hamilton facility.The unprecedented demand for their services, says Janet, stems from the pandemic, when people sought comfort and companionship from pets, who often gave them a reason for leaving the house.“All of a sudden, they have to go back to work, and they think: ‘Oh, my goodness, what do I do with this pup?’” explained Janet, who says that for owners, it’s a sad indictment of the ongoing cost of living crisis that the feeding of families has to take precedence over pets.It’s to the Hamilton centre people frequently turn after purchasing a puppy through a classified advertising platform, and it hasn’t worked out.The advice