Banbury animal rescue centre in crisis following an explosion of owners giving up their pets

Banbury Animal Rescue and Kindness Service (BARKS) is struggling to cope with an influx of cats, rabbits and guinea pigs as owners find they can no longer cope with their animals.

Centre leader Ann Collins has appealed to the public to raise funds and donate to the Bodicote centre so they can keep rehoming animals and providing for long stay pets.

"Everyone believes there is a connection with lockdown, when many people took on pets but we don't really know what the reasons are for this flood of animals being given up. The cost of living has certainly had an impact,” she said.

“There was always a constant flow which was manageable. But now the phone rings all day and we're inundated with emails. And people aren't even giving a reason now, they're just saying regretfully they need to give their pet up."

Ms Collins said people should do their best to keep their pets, using the Banbury Pet Food Bank if necessary. She also asked people feeding strays to keep doing so.

“Please look at other ways than giving up your pet. Go to the Pet Bank, don't be too proud. Don't just give the animals up – we have limited spaces here and there are still emergencies to be dealt with.”

BARKS’ cattery houses 20 long-term residents that cannot be re-homed. There are usually 25 other cats being re-homed at any time. But there is little free space – kittens can share a pen but some adult cats have to be housed alone.

Some old or sickly pets that are too needy to be re-homed are kept in a network of ‘sponsored’ homes. These volunteers pay for general upkeep but BARKS pays occasionally for medical bills or prescription diets which are very costly.

The service currently has around 40 cats in its pens. It does not take on dogs; re-homing dogs came to an end when lockdowns prevented BARKS from inspecting potential homes. These unwanted pets are dealt with by charities such as the Blue Cross and Ardley Kennels.

BARKS also has rabbits and guinea pigs, most of which are fostered with volunteers until re-homing.

"You wouldn’t believe how many people are trying to get rid of their rabbits. We get multiple contacts every day – sometimes it’s people losing their homes which may be connected to the cost of living and rabbits are costly to keep if you vaccinate them properly and provide proper accommodation. Everyone is being hit by the cost of supplies and pet food which are astronomically expensive.”

Ms Collins said it costs £30 – £40 per month to keep one cat fed, watered and cleaned. Vets fees are a further big expense.

BARKS has a ‘wish list’ for special purchases such as self-heating beds for the cats during cold spells.

“People are still very generous even in this day and age,” said Ms Collins. “We run entirely on donations. We have no other income.”

The centre relies on a team of 18 volunteers and six fundraisers. Expenditure last year was just over £100,000 pounds. The organisation offers collection boxes to fill.

To donate or make contact with BARKS see https://www.barks.org.uk/, email [email protected] or call 07885 103755.