Scottish SPCA: Appeal for info after collection of pets dumped on cold Glasgow street - with one dying

The Scottish SPCA is appealing for information after four pets were found abandoned in cages and carriers on a Glasgow street - with one later dying.

The animal welfare charity say a member of the public found the two cats in a pet carrier and two birds in separate cages on the evening of 9 January, on Berkeley Street. Scottish SPCA Inspector, Elizabeth Lindsay, said: “Two cats, one tabby and one white, were found in a red pet carrier. A lovebird and a red and orange canary were also found alongside them in separate cages.

“The member of the public kindly took the animals inside their flat but sadly one of the birds died shortly after," she continued. “Leaving animals outside in carriers in cold weather for a number of hours will cause them significant distress.

"We appreciate that whoever left these animals may have intended for them to be found but this is not the correct way to give up a pet if you can no longer care for them," she added.

The cats and surviving bird were now in the care of one of the SSPCA's animal rescue and rehoming centres, Inspector Lindsay said, where they had received the treatment and care they needed. She urged anyone who recognised any of the animals or had any information around their circumstances to call the charity's confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.

The UK's animal rescues have been facing an unprecedented surge in pets being dumped over recent months. The Scottish SPCA alone has had to deal with some mass abandonment cases, such as ten Persian and ragdoll-type cats found abandoned in cages under a flyover on New Year’s Day. The cats and kittens were packed into their carriers so tightly they were at risk of suffocating, the charity said.

South of the border, the RSPCA is in the midst of an animal abandonment crisis - which it believes is linked to more and more people struggling to meet the cost of living. Abandonment calls at the charity have reached a three-year high, and rescuers estimate around 18,000 animals were dumped throughout the course of 2023.

The RSPCA has issued a call for animal lovers to donate to its 'Join the winter rescue' campaign to enable teams to keep helping and caring for these abandoned pets, ahead of what's expected to be a busy winter.