Animal owners ‘being more responsible’

Press, 4 January 1988, Page 5

Animal owners ‘being more responsible’

Animal owners appear to be taking a more responsible attitude this holiday season with fewer calls being received by the Canterbury branch of the Society for the Pre-

vention of Cruelty to Animals.

The branch’s inspector, Miss Barbara Ash, said that in spite of this pleasing decrease, staff had still been busy and their facilities were housing the maximum number of animals.

“We’ve still had the usual sort of holiday calls about whining dogs, dumped kittens, and cats that are wandering about.”

Miss Ash said the branch had received a number of calls from people commenting on howling and whining dogs. She said that on checking it was found that the dogs were being fed but were lonely. Several such dogs have been removed and taken to the branch for

safe-keeping. “My advice is for people to put their dog in a boarding kennel over

the holidays where it can have more constant company,” Miss Ash said. The week before Christmas the branch was getting between 20 and 30 unwanted kittens a day through, but Miss Ash said many of these had been claimed by people as Christmas gifts. Two dogs have been reported dumped, one a bitch expecting puppies.

Seven animals, mainly dogs, have been reported suffering minor accident injuries and have been treated by veterinarians. No-one has yet reported them missing.

Miss Ash hopes that many animals will be able to return to their homes soon when their owners return and find them missing. The branch returns to its normal hours tomorrow.