The founder of a dog rescue charity has made a plea to the public to "help it weather the storm" after the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and vets bills have seen their costs rise exponentially. Vanessa Waddon, the founder of Hope Rescue Centre, based in Llanharan, explained how, like many other businesses, the massive hike in energy and fuel costs had hit them hard.
And she explained how an increase in costs in other essentials, like dog food, bedding and cleaning materials, and an increase in the number of dogs they had rescued, which had arrived in pitiful conditions, meant vet bills had risen from £94,000 pre-pandemic, to a predicted £312,000 this year.
Those behind the charity explained in a statement how they were "in the eye of a perfect storm", explaining how, despite the challenges, staff were continuing to do all they could to help dogs and owners in need, but their resources were stretched to the absolute limit. Get stories like this straight to your inbox with our newsletters.
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A statement read: "In this time of crisis, they are reaching out for urgent help to weather this rocky storm and avoid having to reduce the number of dogs they can take in. It has been widely reported that 2022 was a tough year for animal welfare charities like Hope Rescue and, so far, the new year has brought little relief and a whole new fresh set of challenges.
"With around 3.2 million dogs purchased during the pandemic, it’s not surprising that Hope Rescue experienced a huge surge in the number of dogs through their doors. The charity currently has 202 dogs in their care at the rescue centre and across their foster homes. This year alone they have welcomed 100 stray dogs through the centre’s doors with only 28% being reclaimed by owners, many of which have been deliberately abandoned due to health or behavioural issues putting further pressure on the charity."
Vanessa said: “As the cost-of-living crisis continues to hit every household, the same rise in costs has had a devastating impact on Hope Rescue’s already stretched resources. As well as massive hikes in our energy and fuel costs, we’ve also seen an increase in the cost of other essentials such as dog food, bedding and cleaning materials. The increase in the number of dogs we are rescuing, and the heart-breaking condition they are coming to us in, means our vet bills have risen from £94,000 pre-pandemic to a predicted £312,000 this year.
"We urgently need help to weather the storm. The last thing we want to do is to reduce the number of dogs we take in as this would put the lives and welfare of the most vulnerable dogs in our communities at risk. But sadly this is a real concern. In the last 12 months we’ve received 1,242 calls from owners desperately asking for help to rehome their pets. This is a 69% increase on this time last year - too many dogs and their owners are counting on us.”
You can make a donation to the care of dogs at Hope Rescue on their website by clicking here or calling 01443 226659.
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