A Sheffield cat shelter has warned of the abuse experienced by many pets sold online.
The warning came on the 24th International Animal Rights Day last weekend, which aims to raise awareness of animal mistreatment, abuse and abandonment.
Nick Holland, of Sheffield Cats Shelter, said: “People sell animals on online sites, especially dogs. They are raised in extremely poor conditions on puppy farms to then be sold at a profit.”
He said many pets suffer forms of abuse, but dogs are more prone to maltreatment.
“They have behavioural issues as they never learnt better,” he said. “This leads to families buying dogs and other pets from unverified owners, and it often ends in abandonment down the line.”
International Animal Rights Day started in Sheffield in 1998. Uncaged Campaigns made it a calendar event in their fight against animal testing.
Mr Holland said events like International Animal Rights Day are a good opportunity to bring up animal welfare issues.
He revealed a cat called Sadie was recently abandoned in Sheffield.
“She was found by a dogwalker in a woodland. She was abandoned in her box and left in the middle of nowhere. She was extremely underweight, hungry, and was covered in urine.”
His shelter welcomes cats of all ages, but rescue centres around the country are at capacity, he said.
“With the cost-of-living crisis, people are having to make decisions as to what they can afford. Sadly, a large number have no choice but to give up their beloved pets,” he added.
“In the lead up to Christmas, we expect the yearly increase in abandonment. It’s usually the time of year in which numbers go up.”