Dumbarton’s animal rescue centre has opened its reception area to the public for the first time in two years.
The Scottish SPCA is now welcoming visitors back to its receptions, which are open from 1pm to 4pm daily.
Members of the public will be able to chat to the team, drop in donations or get help with filling in their rehoming applications.
The biggest change to come to the way the charity operates will be that members of the public will no longer be able to access the centres and view animals in the same way that they could prior to 2020.
Full centres will not be open to the public as the charity’s animal care teams have noticed a considerable improvement in the temperament and behaviour of animals during the pandemic.
Many of the animals in the Scottish SPCA’s care need dedicated rehabilitative support and animals have been considerably less stressed without the presence of people they don’t know around them.
The Scottish SPCA cared for over 7,000 pets in 2021, many of whom had come from difficult backgrounds of abuse or neglect, or had never experienced a kennel environment.
The charity now rehomes animals online and carries out virtual home checks. This has helped to speed up the rehoming process and find fantastic homes for thousands of animals. The reception areas will be open every day for people to pop in to discuss rehoming.
Chief executive Kirsteen Campbell said: “When our centres were forced to close due to the pandemic, we saw quite a drastic improvement in the stress levels of many animals.
“We have sorely missed having members of the public in our centres for the past two years and are excited to welcome people back albeit in a slightly different capacity.
“Ultimately, this new approach is the best thing for the welfare of the animals we care for.
“Some animals can find it quite overwhelming in a busy centre, especially if many of the faces they see are unknown to them.
“We’re optimistic our new way of operating will combine the best of both worlds, where animal welfare is prioritised and people can still pop in to discuss rehoming or drop off a donation.”
