Happy ending after act of cruelty
RSPCA IS LEFT ‘SICKENED’ BY CRUELTY TO FRIGHTENED ANIMAL
A TINY gerbil was cruelly thrown into a skip in Nuneaton “like rubbish” say sickened RSPCA inspectors.
It was an eagle-eyed member of the public who spotted the frightened animal left dumped in a skip in Prescelly Close.
The ‘sickening’ find was one of 1,200 complaints made about animal cruelty across the county in 2017– with four new animal welfare concerns being looked into by local inspectors every day.
RSPCA inspector Louise Marston rushed out to collect the gerbil and took him to the safety of an RSPCA centre.
“He would have died a horrible death. This was so sad and it sickened me that someone just threw the gerbil in the skip to die, as though he was a piece of rubbish.
“He had water in his bottle, but the cage in general was quite dirty. It is pretty clear that whoever did this did so knowing that the gerbil was in there. If he hadn’t have been found, he would have died a horrible death. The skip wasn’t even full, so a lot of extra rubbish would have been thrown on top of this poor gerbil. Thankfully he recovered – he is very lucky.”
“If someone gets a pet then they need to realise that they have to commit to being responsible for the animal throughout their life,” added Inspector Marston.
“It is terrible to think that someone thought they could just throw the gerbil away because they no longer wanted him.”
Thankfully the gerbil survived and there been a happy ending to his tale as he been rehomed. But it is not always the case according to the RSPCA, on the day that the charity has published its annual Cruelty Statistics.
Rebecca Cooper, the RSPCA’s chief inspector for the county, said: “Animal cruelty horrifies much of today’s society and this figure tells us that there are suffering animals in the county who need our help every day.
“We are very grateful to everyone who takes the time to raise concerns.
“A call from a member of the public not only helps to give a voice to animals in desperate need but it helps our officers investigate and help bring animal abusers to justice.
“It is shocking that people can be capable of such deliberate brutality towards animals, but equally it drives us on to ensure that perpetrators of animal cruelty are put before the courts.
“Either way, our officers are under increased pressure having to respond to more calls and investigate more complaints, but it is thanks to their dedication, as well as RSPCA staff and volunteers that we are able to transform the lives of thousands of animals in Warwickshire each year.”
Anyone with any concerns about animal’s welfare can report it to the RSPCA’s cruelty line on 0300 1234 999.