Puns don’t kill puppies, wrappers do

When litter is dropped on the street or in our green spaces, it creates a hazard for our city’s pets.

With more than 27 million pets in the country and 43% of households containing at least one furry friend (according to the PDSA Paw REPORT 2018), that is something many of us will be worried about.

Earlier this year the RSPCA said the number of animals killed or injured by litter has hit an all-time high, with them receiving a call about an animal hurt by litter every two hours. It is estimated that more than 69,000 animals are hurt by litter every year in Britain.

Millie the collie who inspired our Litter Hurts anti-littering campaign

Meet Millie – our inspiration

Millie is a gorgeous dog, owned by litter picking champion and all-round Castle Park lover, Russ Leith. When Russ told us about Millie getting her paw cut by glass in the park we wanted to look closer into the effects that litter can have on our pets. And so came #LitterHurts.

Protecting animals from harmful rubbish is easy. By recycling your waste safely, reusing or it, placing it in the bin instead of littering, you can stop pets from being injured, and even save an animal’s life.

We hope the humorous but hard-hitting campaign will make people think twice before leaving their litter on Bristol’s streets and in our parks and help keep our furry friends safe.

The ads are part of a wider campaign which will see cigarette pouches given to smokers to prevent butts being dropped on the street, and dog poo bags provided to owners, along with information and advice about clearing up after yourself.

Littering is a crime and the Bristol City Council Neighbourhood Enforcement Team will fine anyone they see dropping litter in the street.

You can find out more about how to protect animals from being hurt by litter on the RSPCA website which has handy hints and tips for keeping our furry friends safe.