Time to clean up your act!

Litter is lethal for animals

23.06.11

We’re supporting a new campaign against litter and urging people to think before they chuck away unwanted wrappers, cans and other rubbish and bin it instead.

Annually, the RSPCA alone receives over 7,000 phone calls about wildlife, farm animals and pets which have been hurt, trapped or killed by carelessly dumped rubbish. With many pet and farm owners going direct to vets, and many injured wild animals never being found, it is estimated that this figure is just the tip of the iceberg. 

Clean Up Britain

We're applauding the aim of the Clean Up Britain (CLUB) campaign, launched today, which is to change attitudes and behaviour towards litter. We're also saying that, when it comes to animals, litter really can kill.

Everyday objects pose a real hazard and serious threat when dumped. Elastic bands can get caught around necks of animals and beaks of birds and can be swallowed; fishing hooks and broken glass can pierce and tear skin; and plastic bags can suffocate animals who crawl into them and cause those who eat them to choke and die.
 

Animals injured by litter

A cow with its head stuck in a washing machine, a fox cub trapped in a hub-cap, and a seal entangled in a net are just some of the preventable incidents that we have had to deal with.

Some have long-term or terminal effects - one dog was left with lifelong injuries after he cut an artery on metal that had been dumped; and a badger cub that had a plastic can holder embedded in its neck was lacerated so deeply that it died.

Helen Ball, our sustainability and social responsibility manager, said:

What makes this issue so frustrating is that it is just so avoidable.

Animals are dying or being really badly hurt, just because people prefer to hurl things out of their car window or drop them on the ground rather than just wait until they get to a bin.

A simple tin can or elastic band can be a real death trap when left in the street or in the countryside, where many people walk their dogs and wildlife live. Yet so much trash is left lying around due to pure thoughtlessness.

The message here really is stark but simple - litter is lethal. All it takes is for people to throw rubbish away properly for such needless destruction to stop.

Litter costs lives 

All animals - wildlife, farm animals and pets - are affected by discarded rubbish. 

Find out more about the kinds of preventable incidents we have dealt with, what you can do to help and how litter costs lives.