It’s been a busy summer here in Newport West, I've spent the last few weeks out and about in our community meeting local people and hearing their thoughts and concerns.

I’ve enjoyed every minute of it!

As Shadow Animal Welfare Minister, I recently visited RSPCA Newport and the Dogs Trust in Cardiff to hear first-hand about how the cost-of-living crisis is impacting their work.

Household budgets are being hit hard like never before as soaring energy bills coupled with rampant inflation mean that the pound in your pocket is worth increasingly less each passing day, and those of us who own pets are no exception.

The cost of pet food, medicine and keeping an animal happy and healthy continue to rise, and more pet owners than ever are facing the awful prospect of having to give up a cherished member of the family.

Wales is a nation of animal lovers and my family is no exception.

Since I was small, we’ve kept cats and looked after the pets of neighbours.

My current cat Nessa has been with us since she was a kitten, she’s getting on a bit now but she still brings such joy to our home.

As an animal lover, it was incredibly difficult to hear from the Dogs Trust and RSPCA that not only are more people giving their pets, but that more unaccounted for strays are being taken in too. And now many people are coming in with strays they have ‘found’, with it being clear that they own the animal and are too ashamed to put it up for adoption.

As well as this, animal charities are finding fewer people are seeking to adopt animals, with numbers of potential forever homes dwindling and animals of all breeds spending longer in the care of animal refuges.

At a time when far too many are facing the horrendous choice between heating and eating this winter, the costs of having a pet understandably don’t sit at the top of the agenda.

That said, we must remember that this speaks to the scale of the crisis that this zombie Tory government has created.

Parliament returns today and I will be back in London pushing the new prime minister from ‘Day One’ to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

We need a government that will ensure that nobody has to choose between heating and eating, and that no family has to give up a beloved pet as a means of cutting back on spending.

My office continues to support people across Newport West. If you have a query or require assistance, please contact me at ruth.jones.mp@parliament.uk or 01633 256268.