受通货膨胀、能源价格上涨等因素影响，英国人的生活成本升高，越来越多人负担不起照料宠物的各项费用，被弃养的宠物数量持续上升。
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路透社：由于生活成本飙升，拮据的英国人弃养了他们的宠物
据路透社8月14日报道，伦敦巴特西地区一家动物慈善机构目前收容了206只狗和164只猫，其中包括一只名为哈丽雅特的黑色英国可卡犬。
不久前，有人亲眼看到这只黑色英国可卡犬被人推下车，遗弃在路边，从此沦为街头的流浪狗。
Harriet is a black English cocker spaniel abandoned as a deepening cost-of-living crisis pushes growing numbers of Britons to part with their pets.
She was found running along a busy road in London after witnesses saw her pushed out of a car and is one of 206 dogs and 164 cats currently being looked after at rehoming centres run by the Battersea animal charity.
随着英国人生活成本日益增加，越来越多的养宠家庭正在考虑，要么遗弃宠物，要么将宠物送到动物救援慈善机构，等待领养者的出现。
英国某动物慈善机构负责人史蒂夫·克拉多克在采访中表示：“我们看到越来越多的动物被送到这里，（数量）比去年增加了30%。虽然我们没有具体数据，但可以看到其中一些动物被遗弃是因为人们已经无法照顾它们，负担不起照顾它们的费用，尤其像兽医服务。”
“We are seeing an increase of the animals that people want to give into Battersea, of up to 30 % from last year. We don't have any specific data, but we are seeing that some of these animals are because people are no longer able to look after them, they're no longer able to afford their care, particularly things like veterinary care.”
据英国犬类慈善机构“爱狗信托”负责人透露，目前，全英21个中心共收容了692只狗，而上一次出现类似大规模收容是在2008年金融危机后。
Dogs Trust, which currently has 692 dogs needing homes in 21 centres across the country, said the last time it had seen anything like this was in the wake of the 2008 financial crash.
“爱狗信托”运营总监亚当·克洛斯表示：“生活成本危机向我们蔓延的速度比人们预期的快得多。”
"This cost-of-living crisis has crept up on us a lot more quickly than people ever expected," said the Trust's operations director Adam Clowes.
成为“弃儿”的不止猫猫和狗狗，还有蛇、蜥蜴等宠物。据了解，饲养这些较罕见的宠物需要专业的灯光和供暖设备，照料成本颇高。
Exotic pets such as snakes and lizards are also proving too expensive due to their need for specialist heating and lighting.
英国皇家防止虐待动物协会（RSPCA）告诉路透社，最近有3条蛇被塞进枕套，丢弃在一家爬行动物商店外，其中包括一条长2.4米的大蟒蛇。
Three snakes, including an 8-foot (2.4-metre) boa constrictor, were recently dumped in pillow cases outside a reptile shop, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) told Reuters.
据路透社报道，英国新冠疫情“封城”期间，民众领养宠物的需求激增。然而，今年1月份，英国家庭的能源账单比去年同期增加了两倍多。生活成本危机加剧，人们领养宠物的需求随之下降。一家名为“伍德格林”的动物慈善团体说，“封城”期间，他们每月要处理一万份领养申请，现在每月仅约100份。
The trend, which follows a surge in demand for pets during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in a country known for its love of animals, comes as households brace for energy bills to more than triple in January on last year, hammering people's incomes.
Woodgreen, an animal charity, saying applications to adopt animals have dropped to the 100s a month from around 10,000 during lockdowns.
皮拉尔·戈麦斯-伊博是一名助理编辑，原本打算领养宠物。但她告诉路透社，随着生活成本的变化越来越明显，额外的支出让她担忧，她正在重新考虑，“还是等等再说吧”。
Pilar Gómez-Igbo, an assistant editor, could have been one potential owner, but having done some research she is now worried about the extra costs.
"As the change in living costs became more evident, yes definitely, it joined the list of things to seriously consider," she said. "I will make myself wait a little."
来源：路透社
