Julia van de Coolwijk, SPCA General Manager for Engagement says animals are staying longer, and their centres are at capacity. “Dogs are staying on average 20 days longer than this time last year. We’re still seeing the ongoing effects of the Covid-19 lockdown; unfortunately we couldn’t handle desexing at our usual levels which means we’re now seeing more puppies and kittens. When you combine this with the cost of living crisis people can’t afford to bring pets into their home or keep them.