More than 1,300 pet toys covered the grass by Tower Bridge in a stunt by animal charity Woodgreen to highlight how 26,565 cats and dogs could have stayed with their owners had the right support been available.
Each ball, rope, and plush toy represented 20 pets.
It comes as new research reveals that a third of UK pet owners have given up a pet, with 74 per cent not wanting to. 48 per cent of these owners were unaware that help was available to keep them together.
Charities such as Woodgreen can offer behavioural advice, veterinary support and funding assistance, which allows pet owners and their furry friends to stay together during moments of crisis.
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72-year-old Lynne, from Cambridgeshire, is one owner who was able to keep her beloved pet through extra support.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Lynne and her husband, Graham, adopted a Patterdale Terrier puppy named Doug, but, when Graham passed away in 2024, Doug suffered from dramatic behavioural changes.
Lynne struggled to cope with the grief as well as a challenging dog, so she visited Woodgreen’s website to ask to give up Doug.
Instead, she saw that support was available and reached out to the team to see whether they could help her keep her dog.
Wendy, a leading behaviourist at the charity, stepped in to support Lynne and Doug to overcome Doug’s behavioural challenges. She worked with Lynne to implement a rigid training programme and a new diet plan for Doug, providing help and sympathy at a trying time for Lynne.
Doug’s behaviour steadily improved with the extra support and Lynne was able to keep Doug in her care for two more years, until he sadly passed away in April.
Lynne said: “I can’t praise the training we received from Woodgreen enough. It really was a lifeline for me and Doug during one of the hardest times of our lives.”
“The way I look at it, there may be someone in my position who needs help just as much as I did and is too afraid to ask for it.”
Chris Bennett, Head of Community Engagement at Woodgreen, the charity that staged the stunt said: “No one should have to part from a pet they love. We want to help people understand that there are more ways to rescue and rehoming doesn’t always have to be the answer.
“The 1,000+ toys symbolise the thousands of pets that didn’t have to be separated from their families last year, if only they’d had the support they needed. That’s why we work with pet owners in their homes, providing help and advice so that pets stay where they belong: safe, loved and at home. This is how we rescue.”
