Crews required to the water at Highfields Lake in an effort to rescue the hurt bird, however the animal was so severely hurt that inspectors took the tough choice to put it to sleep to end its suffering.
The death began among the busiest days for the animal charity, with RSPCA officers likewise called out to a comparable occurrence at Manvers Lake in Wath simply hours later on after reports of a bird caught in angling litter.
Fortunately, this time the gosling was released and discovered to be in good health – so was launched back on the water and gladly swam away with his family.
Inspector Sara Jordan, who participated in the rescue together with associates inspector John Gibson and ARO Kate Hetherington, said both events highlighted risks postured by disposed of fishing line.
Sara said: “The RSPCA sadly deals with many animals arriving into its care with terrible injuries caused by angling litter such as discarded fishing line and hooks to plastic netting.
“Positively, the majority of anglers do dispose of their litter properly but it is frustrating that those who don’t possibly don’t realise how dangerous it is to animals.
“Discarded line in particular is a terrible hazard for wildlife, particularly as it can be almost invisible.”
On a hard day for the RSPCA in Yorkshire, inspectors likewise handled a dead dog discovered in a travel suitcase in Sheffield, a cat tossed from a car and a squirrel rescue in Leeds.
The animal charity is offering the general public a look of the extraordinary work of their frontline rescue groups – taking care of the animal victims of heartbreaking cruelty.
It comes as the charity releases its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign, to raise funds to help its hectic frontline rescue groups continue to save animals from cruelty and abuse and to raise awareness about how to stop cruelty to animals for good.
Last Tuesday, the charity received 4,060 calls to its cruelty line – typically 6 a minute throughout opening hours – with 1,775 events examined by frontline rescuers.
Tom Buckley, center supervisor at the RSPCA’s National Control Centre, based in Wath-on-Dearne, near Barnsley, said: “We take more than a million calls a year but summer is our peak time – with mid July typically being when we receive more calls. The calls we receive are heartbreaking – our dedicated call takers never know what they will hear when they answer the call, but it can range from a report of animals being beaten, shot, abandoned or poisoned.
“Our call handlers know they can make a difference because, working together with frontline rescuers, they can help save lives and coordinate rescues of all types of animals.
“That’s why we need the public’s support more than ever to help Cancel Out Cruelty so our call staff and frontline rescuers along with centre and branch staff, can work together to help all those animals in need.”
The RSPCA gets around 91,500 calls to its cruelty line each month and examines 5,300 reports of intentional animal cruelty.
But in the peak of summer season (throughout July and August) calls increase to 133,000 a month, and reports of cruelty skyrocket to 8,400 throughout these months; a heartbreaking 271 every day, or 11 every hour.
In Yorkshire there were 1,520 reports of deliberate damage versus animals made to the RSPCA in 2015 compared to 1,229 in 2021 – a 23 percent boost.
Reports are prioritised and charged out to frontline rescue groups throughout England and Wales who work relentlessly to help bring animals to safety, and animal abusers to justice.
Meanwhile staff and volunteers at RSPCA centres and branches up and down the nation are prepared to help in supplying any treatment and care the rescued animals might require throughout the day.
While the groups see inconceivable cruelty on the frontline each and every single day, it’s not all doom and gloom and thanks to the calls to the cruelty line on this day numerous animals were saved. Once they are fixed up in the RSPCA’s care they will either be gone back to the wild or will discover the caring houses they should have.
