MORE than 300 animals including exotic birds and fish were abandoned in Lancashire last year, according to new figures.

The county had the fourth highest abandonment figures in the north during 2015 and the seventh highest in England.

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However the figures released by the RSPCA show 330 abandoned animals in 2015 fell from 368 in 2014 and 513 in 2013.

The charity claims pets are more likely to be dumped in the summer months rather than at Christmas, with one being abandoned every hour nationally, possibly due to owners heading off on holiday and not finding anyone to look after them.

Cats were the most likely to be abandoned with 155 dumped in Lancashire followed by 90 dogs, 44 rabbits and 20 small furries, including hamsters, gerbils and ferrets.

Also abandoned in Lancashire were 11 fish, three exotic birds and six exotic animals, with RSPCA chiefs finding bearded dragons, corn snakes, terrapins, leopard geckos and royal pythons most likely to be dumped in the UK.

Someone also abandoned a farm bird in the area.

In one case last year, a German Shepherd with a tumour was left close to death on a residential road in Rossendale.

The dog, who was unable to stand on her back legs, was described as being in an “appalling condition and very distressed state” after being discovered in Booth Crescent, Waterfoot in September.

The RSPCA said it was “bracing itself for a summertime influx of dumped animals” after 2,812 were dumped in England last summer.

RSPCA Supt Simon Osborne said: “In the summer months the number of dumped animals we rescue spikes up in number with one animal being collected every hour on average.

“Every day our inspectors face cases where animals have been left abandoned in fields, dumped in boxes, left for dead at the side of roads and even left outside our animal centres and hospitals. It is just heartbreaking.

“We will never know why these animals are just discarded like rubbish. It could be for any number of reasons. Whether it is the fact that more pets are abandoned in the summer because the novelty of their Christmas present pet has worn off by the summer, they don’t want the responsibility of finding someone to look after their pet while they are away on holiday or whether more pets are found dumped because of the longer daylight hours we will never know.”

He added there was a “huge strain on resources” as the animals were often very badly neglected so need urgent vet care and often hospital treatment.