Reckless breeding, gross neglect

Pet owners struggling to cope are now opting to abandon animals, writes Aoife Dowling

ANIMAL welfare campaigners have called for a nationwide ban on breeding to help tackle the record numbers of animals being abandoned and in many cases left to die.

For many charities, 2011 was a year to forget, with predictions for 2012 equally gloomy as the recession continues and the effects of the budget kick in.