Shocking figures released by the RSPCA show the number of animals abandoned in England and Wales during the winter period has increased by a massive 51% in just three years.

In Suffolk latest figures show the number of abandonment reports to the RSPCA for 2023 was 216 up from 188 in 2021 when the cost of living crisis began – a staggering 15% increase.

The RSPCA received 3,071 animal abandonment reports during the winter period (November to January 2021). Last winter (November 2023 to January 2024) this rose to a staggering 4,630 pets who were reported to have been left to fend for themselves – which is a staggering 51% increase.

In total 20,999 abandonment reports were made to the charity’s emergency line in 2023 and according to latest 2024 figures (available up until the end of October) 19,067 have been reported this year – which, if the trend continues, will be almost 23,000 reports.

Before the cost of living crisis the number of reported abandonments during 2020 stood at 16,118 reports – showing a 30% rise in calls in just three years.

It’s a shocking trend with a year-on-year increase in the number of abandonment reports, climbing from 17,179 in 2021 to 19,645 in 2022.

The RSPCA believes the surge in pet ownership during the Covid-19 lockdown and the increasing financial hardships due to soaring living costs have led to the increase in people dumping their pets.

And sadly now, during the winter months, the RSPCA expects the crisis to worsen as more people struggle with the increase in expenditure around Christmas time with presents to buy and extra food shopping – coupled with an increase in energy bills. 

RSPCA Chief Inspector Ian Briggs said: “We are seeing a shocking rise in the number of calls reporting pet abandonment to our emergency line during winter with an eye-watering 51% rise in three years. Sadly we expect the trend will continue as more pet owners face financial hardship at this time of year more than any other.

“Our rescuers are regularly coming across dogs in poor health, collapsed and left in isolated spots to suffer a lingering death; sick kittens discarded in cardboard boxes who are lucky to be found alive; or pet rabbits dumped in the wild with little chance of survival against predators.

“With the cost of living crisis we are also seeing people having to move out of properties due to financial pressures, and we are increasingly coming across pets who have been left locked in homes alone after their owners have moved out – like Dorothy and Glinda pictured (right) who were left in a property after their previous owners moved away. The pair were rescued by RSPCA inspectors and were placed in the care of the RSPCA Suffolk Central Branch and have since been rehomed.

Mum Glinda (pictured below) who is thought to be aged between one and three years old took a while to settle and at first could often be found hiding in her igloo bed.

But thanks to the dedication and care of the branch staff she started to feel more confident and her personality of being a sweet girl came through.

She still likes to watch the world go by from the security of her igloo bed but since getting to know the team she has started to venture out in  the staff’s company and gives them permission to give her small doses of fuss by nudging their hands.

Her daughter Dorothy, thought to be only around three to four months old, was very affectionate from day one. Both cats have gone on to be rehomed.

“Heartbreakingly, we are seeing many pets left in their own filth – with no food or water, no-one to care for them and no idea if anyone will come to help them.

“Thanks to the public supporting us we are able to rescue many animals, rehabilitate them and find them new homes – but to continue this life-saving work we need your help.”

Ian added: “Right now, far too many animals are suffering behind closed doors. But as long as animals are in desperate need this Christmas, we won’t stop.

“So please help in whatever way you can and together we will bring joy and safety to animals. For thousands of terrified and injured animals, we’ll turn the worst suffering into the best Christmas yet – because it will be the one where their lives change forever.”

You can donate to RSPCA Suffolk Central branch online here.

L-R
Back row: Tracy Barritt-Brown (artist who created the Safe Haven tree), Mayor Sanders, Geoffrey and Jean Short, Mary Taylor (Trustee), Justin Grimwood (Maintenance Person)
Front row: Lorna Goodwin (Corporate & Community Fundraiser), Zoe Barrett-Lamb (Animal Centre Manager), Chloe Hazell (Branch Manager), Dawn the Dog and Lucy Calver (Senior Kennel Assistant)
Mayor of Woodbridge, Robin Sanders takes a tour of our Martlesham Animal Centre ahead of the ribbon-cutting ceremony for our Safe Haven tree.
Memorial leaf
Mayor of Woodbridge, Robin Sanders takes a tour of our Martlesham Animal Centre ahead of the ribbon-cutting ceremony for our Safe Haven tree. Meeting the rabbits.

Last week we were thrilled to be able to officially launch our beautiful new Safe Haven tree installation at our Martlesham Animal Centre.

Kindly sponsored by Jean & Geoffrey Short, the tree was created by local willow artist Tracy Barritt-Brown and displays wooden leaves containing messages of love and remembrance from each of our Safe Haven sponsors.

We hope that visitors to the Animal Centre will stop and read some of the heart-warming and charming messages that made our team smile so much, and that future sponsors will personalise their leaves with pictures and messages.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was also attended by the Mayor of Woodbridge, Robin Sanders, who took a tour of the animal centre and was lucky enough to name a stray rabbit who arrived that afternoon – welcome Camille!

If you would like to sponsor an animal enclosure at our Martlesham Animal Centre, providing valuable funds to help support our vital work protecting animals in need across Suffolk, please visit https://rspca-suffolkcentral.org.uk/get…/sponsorship/

Sponsorship would also make the most wonderful gift for any animal lover this Christmas!

You may have already heard of the name Ron Summers, an RSPCA Inspector who started his career in 1970 and saved more animals than can be remembered, while also helping to secure the animal home we work from now.

Ron joined us for coffee and cake in celebration of his work last week, and took the time to reminisce and tell some of the stories from his amazing career to help our current team understand how the RSPCA has developed in our area and what an impact Ron made.

We learnt that not much has changed when it comes to the neglect we see of animals, sadly the cases Ron dealt with then are still being seen now.

We heard how many of the animals Ron saved were cared for by him and his family in their own home. Including seal pups in the back garden!

We also got to see Ron’s huge collection of newspaper cuttings, photographs and leaflets from years past which were incredibly exciting – some of which will appear in Our Branch History section of our website over the coming weeks.

To top the day off, Ron’s son Michael presented us with old photos that have been on site, slightly damaged for years, in brand new mounts and frames thanks to his company Red Dog Frames. These will take pride of place in our reception for all to see.

Keep an eye out at our animal centre as we are aiming to create an archive of images and information dating back to 1934 for all to enjoy and learn from.

Ron you continue to be an inspiration and we hope you know how treasured you are.

Here’s to the next 50 years of animal rescue and rehabilitation!

We are very proud to announce the launch of our 2024 Christmas video, made with the generous help of our friends at Offset Films.

This year we wanted the video to focus on our services that help support families in need in Suffolk who, for whatever the circumstances, may be struggling to look after their pet.

RSPCA Suffolk Central doesn’t just focus on the rehoming and rehabilitation of animals, we work with the local community to help keep pets with their loving families and avoid the heartbreak of anyone having to surrender an animal they love.

Through our work at our Welfare Clinics we are able to support low-income families in getting a vet consultation from as little as £15 and we can provide subsidised medications. If your pet needs ongoing treatment we can also provide financial help towards this if you meet our eligibility criteria of earning under £15,000 a year and living in our branch area. Our Welfare Clinics are based in Ipswich, Stowmarket and Bury St Edmunds.

We can also provide help to get your pet neutered. By using one of the vets involved in our scheme, you can receive up to 50% off the cost of having your dog or rabbit neutered or only have to contribute £15 towards the cost of having your cat neutered. At any other veterinary practice, we can cover up to 25% of the cost of neutering your animals.

Microchipping your dog or cat is a legal requirement and we offer pop-up donation-only microchipping clinics (keep an eye on our social media channels to find out when these are happening); or you can book an appointment for microchipping at our Martlesham Animal Centre from just £10 per pet.

We also run pop-up pet food banks that offer free food to those in need (again, keep an eye on social media to find out when/where these are run); but our Martlesham Animal Centre and Ipswich Welfare clinic offer low-cost pet food, pet products and accessories (beds, scratching posts etc.) for sale, and our shops stock a lovely variety of donated pet goods.

This year we are projected to provide nearly £40,000 of financial help across Suffolk through our welfare vouchers scheme and help 3,000+ animals in the community with visits to our Welfare Clinics, financial aid or neutering support.

If you’d like to donate help support our continued work for animals, and families, in need, please visit https://rspca-suffolkcentral.org.uk/donate/

If you need support, please call us on 0300 999 7321 or email info@rspca-suffolkcentral.org.uk to chat about how we help.

Thank you.

We are thrilled to have launched our new Corporate Partnership Scheme ready for 2025.

Designed to help local businesses across Suffolk show their support for our cause, engage their teams and receive some pawfect rewards in return.

All the details are on our website at https://rspca-suffolkcentral.org.uk/get-involved/corporate/ but we’ve summarised the different packages on offer and the impact they could have to animals in desperate need in your community in our online brochure available to view here.

Please do get in touch if you’re interested – we’d love to hear from you!

Lorna Goodwin
Corporate & Community Fundraiser
E: lorna.goodwin@rspca-suffolkcentral.org.uk
M: 07842 935938

Last week saw the official opening of our brand new Cat Isolation Unit.

Lovingly named the Selwyn Isolation Unit, the ribbon was officially cut by Pauline and Derek of the Millar Danks Trust with help from Donna Rich (cattery supervisor and deputy manager).

Through their Charitable Trust, Pauline and Derek have provided financial support for this and many other projects at our Martlesham Rehoming Centre, for which we will be forever grateful.

The building is a bespoke isolation unit to help us appropriately care for sick and injured cats who need special care during their recovery.

Thanks to the kindness of the Millar Danks Charitable Trust, and the support of Benchmarx Kitchens and Wickes, we’ve been able to turn our vision into reality and the entire team is thrilled.

Save the date for our Annual open day and dog show held at our Martlesham Animal Centre!

In addition to our friendly dog show, there will be fun for all the family, including RSPCA tombola, bottle tombola, raffle and games; stalls selling pet accessories, bric-a-brac, crafts and delicious foodie bits! We’ll also be offering refreshments.

Dog Show registration from 12 noon. Judging from 1pm

1pm: Crossbreed with Character

1:15pm: Happiest Hound

1:30pm: Young at Heart (dogs 8 years +)

1:45pm: Second Chance (any rescue dog)

2pm: Fabulous Female

2:15pm: Marvellous Male

2:30pm: Kids & K9s
(young handlers up to 16 years old)

2:45pm: Dog of the Day

All times are approximate and subject to change

₤2.50 per class or 3 classes for ₤6 (per dog)

Maximum 3 classes per dog

Entrance fee £1 for adults and 50p for children under 12 (sorry, no unaccompanied children under 14)

Disabled parking only at the Animal Centre, public parking available at the Martlesham Community Centre.

We hope to see you there!

Many thanks to all who supported our spring quiz on Saturday 27 April. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and together we raised a “grand” total of £1,012 for the animals in our Branch area.

The winners on the night were the Rebels, in a close run competition that saw the top five teams all within five points of each other! Congratulations, too, to the Happi Days team who brought up the rear.

Many thanks to Geoffrey for writing and hosting the quiz, to Kate for promoting and booking in the teams, to Dawn for doing the raffle and Ray for donating the bottles of wine for the winners. The kitchen team of Stephen, Susanne, Diane, Jan and Mary, cooked and served almost 100 piping hot baked potatoes, and many thanks to them too. The hall hire fee was donated by a regular supporter.

The raffle on the night raised £260 (included in the total above), and we very much appreciate everyone who donated a prize, including East of England Co-operative Society whose gift voucher bought three prizes.

Watch the website for details of more quizzes and events this year, and if you would like to help out, please contact Jane on 07592 517836 or via volunteering@rspca-suffolkcentral.org.uk Without the hard work and enthusiasm of our volunteers, we would not be able to help the number of animals and families with pets that we do. Please consider joining our volunteer team, no matter how many or few hours you feel you can give, especially in 2024, our 200th anniversary year.

We’re thrilled to be a charity partner for the Larking Gowen Ipswich Half Marathon for the third year running!

We are offering FREE limited charity spaces if you’d like to run on behalf of RSPCA Suffolk Central – all we ask in return is that commit to fundraise at least £150 on our behalf ahead of the event (that could be much easier than running a half marathon!).

And that’s not all, if you raise over £50 we’ll supply a free running vest!

If you are interested in taking part, please register your interest online here. We will then be in touch with your personal invitation to join our team.

Event details

Sunday 27 September 2026

Arrive 8.30am for Race start at 9.30am

The fantastic route starts at Portman Road stadium, takes you through Holywells Park before turning down to the Ipswich Waterfront, then following the River Orwell before heading back along the Wherstead Road, and Grafton Way before reaching the big finish at the stadium!

What’s included?

Full details about the event can be found on the event website here.

Please email fundraising@rspca-suffolkcentral.org.uk if you have any questions. 

Volunteer this year!

New year is a great time for starting something new, and what better activity to add to your schedule than a spot of volunteering?!

Over 170 people in Suffolk volunteer for RSPCA Suffolk Central, but we still need extra help and support.

If you could give some time this year, whether it is a regular commitment or a one-off gesture, we’d love to hear from you.

For a volunteer application form or to find out more about volunteer roles email volunteering@rspca-suffolkcentral.org.uk

Here are some of the roles we particularly need help with in 2025…

Volunteer Collectors

Collectors give just two hours on a Saturday once or twice a year to help collect donations at local supermarkets. We match you to your nearest store and pair you with another volunteer. We always tell you how much has been raised so you know exactly how much of a difference you make. It is an easy way to volunteer and help animals in Suffolk.

Collection Coordinator – West Suffolk

Are you good at organising? Do you know the Bury, Sudbury and Haverhill area well? Could you give a few hours each month to help coordinate store collections in West Suffolk? We are seeking someone with good administration and people skills to liaise with supermarkets and volunteers to organise store collections in West Suffolk. You will arrange rotas, coordinate the delivery of collection materials, and help count the proceeds, all from the comfort of your own home!

Event Volunteers – Set-Up

Can you put up a gazebo? Are you happy to lift and carry boxes and equipment? If so, we need you! Our events are great fun, but manning a stall is not for everyone. Some people are better suited to getting stuck into to the set up and breakdown of events, including putting up gazebos, moving tables, and erecting banners. Pick and choose the events you can help us at and give a couple of hours to help make the stand look amazing so we can raise lots of money!

Event Volunteers – Stand/Stall Holder

Do you enjoy talking to people? We need friendly, outgoing volunteers to welcome people to our event stands and help them participate in activities such as surveys, raffles, and competitions. You will be told about the latest projects the charity is working towards and be briefed on the animals in need of new homes, so that you can talk with confidence about how we are helping animals in Suffolk. You will also meet and spend time with other members of the events team including staff, volunteers, and trustees, meaning you will truly be a part of the RSPCA Suffolk Central family.

Coffee Shop Volunteers

We need friendly, efficient volunteers to help serve coffee and cakes, greet customers, and keep the area clean and tidy at our new coffee shop in Bury St Edmunds on the Bartons Retail Park. The coffee machine is easy to use with a push-button function, and all food comes pre-prepared, so no specialist skills are required. You will be spending time in a bright, welcoming environment and helping to generate funds for animals in need of rescue and rehoming. Great for work experience, broadening your skills, or giving some time back to a cause you love.

Volunteer Spotlight On Tracey Colchester Home Visitor (Pictured)           

“I have volunteered as a home visitor for many years. I visit people to check out the suitability of their dwelling, and visit afterwards to see how their new family member has settled in.

It has been a delight getting to meet so many people and animals, and in so many different places. I’ve visited mansions and small flats. But all these places look like home to me.

The common theme is that the people adopting animals are always of the same mindset. They always have amazing tales to tell of animals they have taken in in the past, or friends they have lost and seek to replace. Or just a desire to help a distressed or lonely creature.  Many share the joy of finding a new companion and friend.

I have met people who were delightfully eccentric, elderly people who were lonely, and children in need of a playmate. There have only been a few occasions where I have felt the place was unsuitable for this animal. Almost always I’ve been able to help unite people with their perfect pet.

It’s never a chore. I think the only problem is that I often want to take the animal home with me instead!”