RSPCA deals with over 1,500 lockdown incidents in Hertfordshire

The RSPCA's key workers have responded to 1,580 incidents in Hertfordshire during lockdown - an average of 12 a day.

Designated as key workers by the Government, officers have operated an emergency service, collected animals from the homes of people who have been admitted to hospital with Covid-19, as well as rescuing animals in need.

One of the rescues in Hertfordshire was 60 ducks who had strayed onto the M25.

An RSPCA officer spent more than two hours running around the M25 rounding up the ducks who had strayed onto the UK’s busiest motorway.

RSPCA animal collection officer Kate Wright was on the way to an injured pheasant on Sunday, July 12, when she was called by the charity’s control centre to divert her to a duck and her ducklings stranded on the M25 just before junction 18 anticlockwise near Hemel Hempstead.

During lockdown (24 March - 5 August), the RSPCA has answered 442,344 calls and dealt with 106,676 incidents - that’s an average of 790 incidents a day.

RSPCA animal rescuers were designated key workers by the Government at the beginning of lockdown but the global pandemic has had a huge impact on the charity’s finances.

Vital funding is needed to help the organisation continue its work rescuing animals and caring for the 6,381 animals in its care across England and Wales.

Dermot Murphy, chief inspectorate officer, said: “We’ve had to quickly and drastically change the way we work during these unprecedented times, from the way we rehome animals to the PPE we wear when responding to calls.

“But the priority for us during lockdown has been to continue to be there for those animals who need us - while also helping people who have been hit hard by the pandemic.

“Now, more than four months into lockdown, we’ve passed a milestone as we responded to our 100,000th incident.

"And our staff are as busy as ever collecting abandoned animals, investigating complaints of cruelty, providing life-saving veterinary treatment to the sick and injured, and finding wonderful new homes for our residents.

“But to continue our vital work and to survive the huge impact this pandemic has had on the economy and, therefore, the charity sector, we really need your help.

"Please donate whatever you can spare at www.rspca.org.uk/covid.”