Almost 1,500 Oxfordshire animals rehomed in county over last decade

Animals rehomed by the charity include a snake, which was found dumped in an Oxford park

Almost 1,500 animals were rehomed by the RSPCA in Oxfordshire over the last decade.

The total, which covers the 10 years from 2012 to 2022, has been released to mark the charity's 200th anniversary this year.

Oxfordshire's RSPCA has also provided the county's pet owners with 1,677 neuters and 2,062 microchips, to help reunite them with lost pets.

Nationally, the charity rehomes an average of 111 animals a day.

Animals found a new home include a "very lucky" snake, which was rescued after it was found dumped in an Oxford park.

The charity said animal neglect and abandonment reached a three-year high last year, with 72,050 reports across the country.

Dermot Murphy, RSPCA inspectorate commissioner, said: "We have even more animals in need of help coming into our care - but at the same time rehoming has been declining sharply, meaning thousands fewer rescue pets are being adopted and our branches and centres are full to bursting."

He also added that fewer donations, combined with higher costs due to the cost of living crisis, was "one of the biggest challenges facing animal welfare right now".

The county is also served by an independent RSPCA branch, RSPCA Oxfordshire, which is a separately registered charity.

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