A Kent puppy has starred in the RSPCA's heartbreaking Christmas film about abandoned dogs.

Rescue pup Peanut, from Tunbridge Wells, appears in the charity's video which tells the story of a puppy bought during lockdown but is eventually dumped at the side of the road.

Peanut appears in the video with her owner Jo Toscano, 42, who is head of media at the RSPCA, her husband Philip, 49, and children Scarlett, 9 and Felix, 6.

The video tells the story of the pup and its new family, who are first are loving and excited by the new addition, but soon come to her as a nuisance and dump her by the road.

Luckily for the puppy in the film she is rescued from the cold by an RSPCA rescuer and taken to safety.

The charity says it expects many more animals to be abandoned this Christmas as the financial and social pressures of the season hit and people struggle to cope.

Jo, who lives with her family in the Broadwater area of the town, said: “We were thrilled to be asked to be part of the Christmas film - it was great fun taking part in the filming and it’s such an important message.

“So many people, like us, have taken on a new puppy in the past year and it’s a big commitment. We love Peanut to bits but puppies cost a lot of money, they need lots of walks and attention and you need to be prepared to look after them for life.”

Five-month-old Peanut was born at RSPCA Leybourne Animal Centre in the summer after her pregnant mum was rescued from a house with dozens of other dogs, who were not being properly cared for.

Jo continued: “We lost our 16-year-old miniature schnauzer Maisie at the beginning of the year and we really miss her.

"We knew we would get another dog eventually but we wanted to rescue, and, because we have young children and cats, we knew we might have to wait until the right dog, young or old, came along.

“In the summer, I heard about some young dogs which had been rescued by the RSPCA. The centre manager told me one of the dogs was pregnant, and she thought one of the puppies would be suitable for us. When she was eight weeks old, we went to visit Peanut, who was called Heidi then, and instantly fell in love.

'Sadly we know that some pandemic pets are beginning to be abandoned...'

“Since we brought her home about three months ago, she has been a total joy, she has such a character and is very confident. We can’t wait to spend our first Christmas with her.”

RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood added: “So many people have got pets during the pandemic, which is fantastic but, just like the puppy in our film, sadly we know that some pandemic pets are beginning to be abandoned as people’s circumstances change.

“Some families may be finding it hard to care for their pets after returning to work, some may have lost jobs or the pressures of a busy and expensive Christmas season could be taking its toll so we’re braced for more pets to be abandoned in the coming weeks. This is why it’s so important to think about whether you can look after an animal for its whole life before taking on a pet."

Last December, the RSPCA received 51,000 calls - the equivalent of one call every minute, with one report about an abandoned animal every hour.

The charity took 70 rescue animals into RSPCA care every day and as we were in lockdown last year, these figures are expected to rise this Christmas.

To join the Christmas rescue and help their rescuers be there for the animals in need, please visit here.