Pay it forward for our pets.

Many of us have been lucky enough to have felt the love and companionship of a fur baby at some point during our childhood or adult life. Whether that is a waggy bum greeting us at the door as we return home exhausted from school and work or a purring puss nuzzling us with love and affection during our times of need. And since lockdown began in 2020, many more of us called upon these furry faces to keep us company and bring us some much needed joy and hope.

Some may even say that if it were not for their loving dogs or cats, they may not have emotionally made it through the isolating months that the pandemic forced upon us.

With all of this considered, it deeply saddens me how we have so quickly reached breaking point with the welfare of our once much-loved pets. Many of them are now being dumped at a shelter or the unthinkable cases of complete abandonment. Yes, we are living through a worrying financial crisis, where many of us are scared to switch our heating on, but surely our furry family members deserve more compassion and loyalty than this?

Despite the crippling increase in running costs and drastic decrease in donations, animal welfare charities are working harder than ever to offer every healthy animal a safe place to live, access to medical treatment and daily food to fill their grumbling tums. All of which is only sustainable for so long, then what?

This year, the RSPCA recorded a 24% increase in pets being abandoned; we are in an animal welfare crisis now, not tomorrow nor next year, this is reality now.

If you have ever shared a walk with a playful pooch, or tickled the chin of a feline friend, think back to those warm feelings of love and loyalty that they showered you with. Never asking for anything in return. Now is the time to pay it forward.

Reach out to your local animal welfare charity and see what you can do to help our pets. Help does not always have to come in the form of money; blankets, unused pet food or foster homes are still ways in which we can support our pets through these challenging times.

If you currently own a pet and are considering rehoming, please investigate what help may be available before you dump them into uncertainty.

We all need to take action. #payitforwardforpets

Visit: https://www.teckelsanimalsanctuaries.co.uk/help-support-teckels/ to find out how you can support the Gloucester based animal welfare charity, Teckels.