New figures released today show that the RSPCA is now receiving a call about an abandoned dog every hour, prompting the society to call for the return of dog licences to be enforced.

Between January and April 2010, the Society was inundated with more than 3,500 calls from members of the public about dumped dogs. This relates to a total of 4,966 dogs which were abandoned. Throughout 2009, in the grip of the credit crunch, the charity took 11,574 calls about abandoned dogs and the RSPCA is worried that this year could hold a similar fate for even more animals.

The RSPCA believes that the introduction of a dog licence could tackle a wide range of dog welfare problems which stem from the lack of traceable ownership.
David Bowles, RSPCA‟s head of external affairs, said: “Every year, we sadly see thousands of dogs heartlessly abandoned throughout England and Wales. The RSPCA and various organisations work tirelessly to help the poor animals who are cast aside in such a wreckless manner.

“But we believe that a dog licencing scheme could provide a solution to this ongoing problem and help make sure that people who do dump their dogs don‟t get away with this criminal offence.”

The charity hopes that an effective licencing scheme providing traceable ownership could help to track down the people who are committing a criminal offence by abandoning an animal.

The RSPCA is working with other animal welfare groups and relevant authorities to develop the first Government-backed approach to manage the most pressing problems associated with dog ownership.

The funding from a licence scheme could be ploughed into tackling key issues including abandonments, antisocial dog behaviour such as dog attacks, the risks to human health from dog-related diseases, irresponsible dog breeding and deliberate cruelty to dogs

Earlier this year, the RSPCA revealed strong public support for the reintroduction of a dog licence. In a TNS poll, 76 per cent of people asked said that a dog licence should be enforced in England to help curb problems such as animal abandonments.

The survey also found that two out of three (66 per cent) of the dog owners asked would be in favour of a licence scheme. The RSPCA has submitted these results in response to the consultation on dangerous dog legislation recently conducted by the UK government.