Pets For Sale On The Increase

According to figures just out from the UK classifieds website, VivaStreet.co.uk, the number of pets being put up for sale has doubled since the start of the credit crunch. In September last year the site listed 8,423 pets for sale; by the beginning of March that number had risen to 17,357.

Since July 2008, when only 5,326 pets were advertised on the site, the number of pets for sale has more than trebled.

Dogs make up the largest percentage (70%) of the pets advertised on VivaStreet, followed by cats (15%) and others (15%). Being the most expensive to keep, it is thought that dogs are the most likely to have fallen foul of tighter family finances.

The RSPCA says the VivaStreet figures reflect a trend that has been highlighted by a number of animal groups and charities since the credit crunch began. The charity says it is a depressing reality that owners are struggling to pay for the upkeep of their pets with 11,586 animals abandoned last year.