This disabled dog who was unable to even lay down was abandoned in a secluded area

RSPCA was notified about a dog left abandoned by a member of Avoncraft Museum of Historic Building. This almost year-old dog has been named Defford by rescuers at RSPCA. The animal welfare centre is now appealing for information on the disabled dog, who was even unable to lay down.

Poor little pup

Members of the museum spotted that Defford was tied to a tree and was very confused and frightened. He was found on a secluded patch of land at around 4pm on Sunday near Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings in Redditch Road, Stoke Heath. Poor little Defford has deformed rear legs and a very distinct walk.

Defford is microchipped and the rescue centre has tried to follow up on the information regarding the microchip and previous owner. However, unfortunately, the microchip information has not been updated so they could not contact the owner and their enquiry continues. The young German Shepherd was found at the far end of a picnic field that is not in regular use. So if he wouldn’t have barked, no one would have gotten to know about his whereabouts.

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Lockdown dogs

While most people in the UK adopted dogs during the lockdown, they are actively now abandoning dogs. Dogs were adopted during the pandemic as a way to help owners with their mental health. And after uplifting the restrictions, people are witnessing more freedom and as such more and more people are abandoning their dogs. Many puppy owners try to recuperate the exorbitant prices they paid for their puppies by selling them online. Because many of these sites have little to no policing, this can be pretty dangerous.

The Pets Trust has had a 35 per cent increase in calls about giving up dogs, and with many charities and rescues failing to cope, this trend is only set to continue in the future. Fortunately, many animal centres and rescue organisations are working hard to address the problem. Inspector Nicola Johnson of the RSPCA, who is leading the investigation, said:

During the pandemic, pet ownership surged with estimates of more than 3.2m people taking on new pets.

With the worrying rise in prices and energy bills, and more people also returning to the workplace following lockdown restrictions, we fear the increased stress and pressures will see a rise in abandonment, neglect and even abuse of animals.