THIS region is amongst the worst in the country for animal abandonment, according to a charity.

The RSPCA says that last year, it received 1,675 reports of abandoned animals in West Yorkshire – which placed the region fourth highest nationally.

And the situation has continued to worsen.

Between January and July this year, the number of cases in West Yorkshire reached 1,195 – 46 per cent up on the same period in 2021.

Dogs were the most abandoned pet, with cats second.

The RSPCA fears that a huge rise in pet ownership during the pandemic, coupled with the cost-of-living crisis putting a strain on people’s finances, is fuelling the surge – and that the problem could grow further.

It has released the figures as part of its Cancel Out Cruelty summer campaign, which aims to raise funds to keep its rescue teams on the frontline in the battle to save animals – and to increase public awareness.

Dermot Murphy, for the RSPCA, said: "The idea of putting your cat in a cat carrier and taking it to a secluded spot in the woods before walking away, or chucking your dog out of the car and driving off leaving it desperately running behind the vehicle, is absolutely unthinkable and heartbreaking to most pet owners – but sadly we are seeing animals callously abandoned like this every single day.

"We understand that sometimes the unexpected can happen – the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis proved that – but there is never an excuse to abandon an animal. There are always other options for anyone who has fallen on hard times and can no longer afford to keep their pet."

Incidents in West Yorkshire included the discovery of 11 newborn puppies dumped in a bin bag.

They were found by walkers in a wooded area.

All but one of the puppies died.

The person responsible for dumping them has not been found.

A recent survey showed that 78 per cent of pet owners thought the cost of living would impact their animals, almost seven out of ten expressed concern that the cost of care was increasing, and 19 per cent were worried about how they would afford to feed their pets. The study also showed that cat owners seemed to be most impacted and concerned about cost-of-living pressures.

For more about the Cancel Out Cruelty campaign and to support the RSPCA, visit rspca.org.uk/stopcruelty.