Animal charity warns about litter and wildlife
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Scotland's animal welfare charity urges dog walkers to pick up two items of litter when out and about on their daily strolls.
The Scottish SCPA received 273 calls to its helpline about animals affected by litter from January to May 31 this year – almost two incidents a day. This is a similar figure to the same period in 2020 when there were 265 accounts.
Keep Scotland Beautiful is asking that people pledge time to picking up litter over the current campaign that runs until June 20 where one hour equals three miles.
Staff members across the SSPCA will be taking part in the Paws on Plastic initiative, alongside Keep Scotland Beautiful’s campaign, encouraging people to pick up at least two pieces of litter per dog walk.
SSPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: “We see first-hand the devastating consequences litter can have on animals. Seals and birds get caught up in fishing line or wire or animals can ingest small pieces of rubbish and choke or die. Liam is one of the vets at our National Wildlife Rescue Centre and he took some shocking pictures of litter and plastic that he has removed from animals.
“The sad thing is that these injuries and deaths are entirely avoidable if people just disposed of their rubbish responsibly."
Barry Fisher, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful said: “We are delighted that the SSPCA has pledged 500 miles to keep Scotland beautiful this month. We’ve warned of a looming litter emergency and our surveys show an increase in the number of sites surveyed being severely littered – but the SSPCA has seen first-hand the horrific impact litter can have on animals."
The SSPCA is dedicated to improving the lives of animals through protecting environments and habitats to ensure Scotland’s wildlife can thrive for years to come.
Mike continues: “Picking up litter will help people respect their environment and protect animals from the dangers of litter. No matter how small, it has the potential to be hazardous or lethal to pets, wildlife and farm animals.
“The public should exercise caution and be careful when picking up litter and we ask that children taking part be accompanied by a responsible adult. We recommend picking up litter with a dog bag or litter picker to avoid direct contact with any litter and do not pick up anything that could be harmful like glass or sharp objects. Any syringes found should not be picked up but reported to the local authority Emergency Waste Uplift informing them of the location of the syringe.
“Anything that can be done to protect animals is so appreciated and it will have a wonderful effect on the local community too.”
Keep Scotland Beautiful is an environmental charity which works to combat climate change, tackle litter and waste and protect and enhance places. Find out more about Summer Clean at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/cleanup
Find out more about Paws on Plastic here www.facebook.com/groups/344123186321129/
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