Llyr Gruffydd MS Member of the Senedd for North Wales

From left: Llyr Gruffydd, North Wales MS, with Victoria Williams, Bryn-y-Maen animal centre manager and Billie-Jade Thomas of  RSPCA Cymru.

The cost-of-living crisis is impacting on all aspects of life including pets, a north Wales MS has found.

Llyr Gruffydd, Plaid Cymru’s north Wales Senedd Member, visited the RSPCA’s Bryn-y-Maen animal centre, near Colwyn Bay, where 150 creatures are currently cared for. They range from rats to fish as well as a variety of cats and dogs.

Mr Gruffydd met with the RSPCA’s Billie-Jade Thomas and the centre’s manager Victoria Williams and heard how the centre is seeing more and more animals being abandoned due to rising costs and owners’ personal circumstances changing.

He said: “The pressure on the centre is growing due to a variety of reasons, including the cost-of-living crisis. The centre, which is at capacity, is having to home animals from all kinds of different circumstances. In certain circumstances, there will be animals taken from their owners because they are unable to care for them and some may even be subject to criminal proceedings.

“It was heartening to hear that the animals are getting the best possible care as they wait to be rehomed but it’s concerning that there are rising cases of animals coming to Bryn-y-Maen needing behavioural help and expert support due to the lack of care they’ve received. In one case, 110 rats had to be rescued from one property in England and some of those had to be rehoused here. It’s quite staggering the range of animals that the team deals with at Bryn-y-Maen as part of the wider RSPCA network and I wish them all the best in dealing with future issues.”