24/4/2009As animal owners feel the pinch, more dogs are ending up in the animal centre at Cardonald
LENNON the lurcher steals a shy glance through the bars of his cage. For the last two months, this barred concrete rectangle has been home to the gentle 18-month-old dog.
Like many animals in the Scottish SPCA centre in Cardonald, Glasgow, he is a casualty of the credit crunch.
When his leg was injured in a traffic accident, his owners could not afford the treatment bill and he
was abandoned at the vet's surgery.
As people across the country struggle to cope with the economic downturn, animal welfare charities are seeing a dramatic increase in abandoned animals.
They are hidden victims of the recession, handed into rescue centres or simply left to wander the streets.
"There are definitely more people bringing dogs in because of the credit crunch," says
Alan Grant, senior kennel assistant at the Cardonald centre.
"People are losing their job, so they do not have enough money to feed the dog.
"Others are losing their houses and moving into temporary accommodation, so that means they can't take the dogs with them."
Mr Grant and his colleagues first noticed the surge in animals coming into the centre around six months ago.
The downturn has also affected the number of animals being re-homed.
He said: "I know of two possible re-homings that were cancelled because a member of the family was losing a job. The recession has definitely had an impact on us.”"
Last week the Evening Times told the tale of Glasgows own Slumdog, Leo, a 12-week-old Akita cross puppy.
Leo, along with his three siblings and his mother, was found living rough on Greengairs rubbish tip near Airdrie.
He was also taken to the Cardonald centre, but it turned out a happy ending for Leo, because he now has a new home with Alex and Rosemary Logan, in Tollcross.
Not all tales have such a happy ending.
The Cardonald centre is one of 10 animal rescue and re-homing centres run by the Scottish SPCA. Together they help thousands of abandoned and abused dogs, cats and small domestic animals every year.
Dogs arrive at the Glasgow centre by various means. Some are brought in by council wardens, others are picked up from local police stations and the worst cases, victims of abuse or cruelty, are brought in by inspectors.
If there is space, the centre can also accept unwanted pets from the public.
Mr Grant added: "The excuses people give for handing in their animals are unbelievable. People hand in dogs because they say they have moved house and the dog is too big for the house, or it doesn't match the carpet or the curtains.
"A guy brought a dog in and said his wife didn't want it in the house any more because it was casting everywhere."
In the average week, 30 to 40 dogs will come into the centre and roughly the same number will be re-homed.
"A lot of it is cruelty, but a lot is ignorance," added Mr Grant.
The most common problems with animals admitted are they are severely undernourished or have developed an unsightly flea allergy.
"The most common condition we see in dogs coming in here is flea allergic dermatitis, which causes bald patches on their back.
"People don't realise the dog needs medicated for fleas and it's actually an allergic reaction it has taken to the bites."
He added: "Lack of proper diet is another one. A dog came in this week and the owner had been giving it soup. The dog is skin and bone. It had not been ill-treated, it was through ignorance.
"Then you see the worst kind of cruelty, where the dogs have been beaten or stabbed. Cases of deliberate cruelty are more common than you would think - a lot of it involves drink or drugs.
"People beat their children and their wives and beating their dog is not really a million miles away."
Prospective dog owners are encouraged to come to the centre and fill out a pre-homing questionnaire about the home and lifestyle.
They are then invited to walk round the kennels to see if there is an animal they want. Staff will discuss with them whether that animal will suit their lifestyle.
"For us, it is a balancing act between getting the dog a home and getting the right home for the dog, because the last thing we want is for the dog to come back,," said Mr Grant, who has worked at the centre for 20 years.
For those who find a suitable dog, there is a charge of between £70 and £110, depending on breed, size and age. This includes free insurance for six weeks after the dog leaves the centre.
While some of the cuter dogs might only be in the centre for a matter of days, for many it can take weeks or months for a new owner to appear. Syd, the longest-serving resident, has been there almost a year.
Mr Grant added: "We keep dogs almost indefinitely. We don't put a dog to sleep for no reason. When we do it, it's for health reasons."
* For more information, call call 03000 999999 or see the website:
www.scottishspca.org
