No favour can win gratitude from a cat.
5,221 people were treated in hospital after being attacked by dogs in the UK in 2008 – 2009.
Tens of thousands of sick and injured dogs are being abandoned on the streets by their recession-hit owners.
Animal charities claim the number of dumped dogs is soaring because families cannot afford vets’ bills which can run to hundreds or sometimes thousands of pounds.
A staggering 107,228 stray and abandoned dogs were picked up last year (2009) by local authorities – an 11 per cent increase and the highest since records began.
And the RSPCA is dealing with one abandoned dog every hour – equal to 8,760 a year.
Suzie Graham, RSPCA East Regional Manager, said vets’ bills were not always as expensive as people feared and urged people to get in touch with the RSPCA or other charities to find out what help is available.
She said: “As a general rule our branches will suggest help with making sure dogs are seen by a vet, provided the branches have funds to do that”.
George Rockingham, from Pact, said: “Until more is done to bring in new licensing or enforce existing licensing it will continue to be a problem.
There are just too many dogs being bred – especially Staffordshire Bull Terriers.
People are breeding them to make money, yet licensing laws aren’t being enforced”.
But he was not convinced that all people abandoning dogs were as cash-strapped as they claimed.
He said: “People are saying they cannot afford to keep them, but then you see a new car in their driveway and a plasma TV in the living room”.
In Norwich, where the city council picked up 327 dogs last year, charities are urging owners to seek help rather than leaving vulnerable pets to fend for themselves.
A council spokeswoman said: “We have been seeing more animals with medical problems being abandoned”.
The cruel, selfish morons who abandon dogs obviously need some medical attention themselves.