RSPCA

The RSPCA has launched a new rehoming campaign to help find alternative homes for ‘farm cats’ in the South West who prefer the great outdoors.

The project aims to find homes for farm cats and other nervous felines who need less human interaction than a typical domestic cat. The aim of the project is to educate the public that not every feline is happy to be a lap cat and to find outdoorsy homes for these cats much more quickly.

Farm cats are often nervous around people but still need someone to provide food, water, shelter and veterinary care when needed. As the name...

The RSPCA is calling for a new animal welfare law which will give animals involved in legal proceedings in the South West the chance to be rehomed much more quickly.

Currently, some neglected and abused pets which are rescued by the RSPCA as part of an investigation cannot be rehomed until the case itself has completed, which sadly means some animals can wait months and even years before finding their second chance.

As part of its Second Chances campaign, the charity is calling for a change in the law which would mean an animal’s future is no longer dependent on court...

The RSPCA will continue to rehome rescue animals on a delivery basis during the ongoing lockdowns in both England and Wales. Pets including dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets and other small furry animals will remain available for adoption as RSPCA centres - now closed to the public - switch to a virtual rehoming and delivery process. The animal welfare charity has 14 national animal centres across England and Wales - while many of its independent branches also have rehoming facilities switching to a remote process during the latest lockdown restrictions. Prospective adopters can speak to RSPCA...

The charity saw more than 50 animals a day reported abandoned last Christmas and is braced for more this winter after pet ownership surged this year

The RSPCA received more than 4,600 reports of abandoned animals across England and Wales last winter* and is worried a surge in pet ownership could result in more unwanted animals this year.

Last winter, the charity received 4,650 reports of abandoned animals including 68 in Devon.

Already this November, there have been 985 reports of dumped and unwanted animals to the RSPCA’s cruelty line including 22 in Devon. The...

Charity launches new Christmas campaign - Join the Christmas Rescue - as it reveals it took in more than 7000 animals last winter and received more than 2000 calls about cruelty and neglect a day

The RSPCA is bracing itself for the toughest Christmas yet as the charity fears the financial strain from the Coronavirus pandemic could mean a rise in pets being abandoned and neglected.

Last Christmas Day, the charity received more than 950 calls, the highest number since 2013 and it received 63,000 calls throughout December, or 2,000 a day, making it the busiest Christmas...

A heifer who fell into a river and was washed downstream was saved after a two-hour rescue mission.

RSPCA animal welfare officer Steve Donohue rushed to the fields off Pennsylvania Road in Exeter on Tuesday night (18 August).

He said: “The heifer had fallen into the river and been washed downstream along the River Exe tributary.

“Debris from the storm had pinned her against the bank so she was struggling to get out and couldn’t keep her head above the 6ft-deep water.”

Steve met the caller at the scene and located the Friesan heifer. Due to the fast-...

The RSPCA is bracing itself for a surge in abandoned animals and fears the fallout from the Covid crisis could see more owners struggling to keep their pets.

Typically, the charity sees abandonment peak in the summer months. Between June and August 2019, 16,519 animals were reported abandoned to the RSPCA which accounts for 30% of all animals reported abandoned that year.

During the summer months the charity received 282 reports about dumped animals in Devon.

This included a poorly rabbit who was abandoned on a roadside in Brixham last summer. Found in July (...

With spring in the air as well as signs of new life from the natural world, the RSPCA is seeing an influx in fox cubs coming into its care up and down the country.

Animal welfare officer (AWO) Nicola Thomas was called earlier this week to collect a lone fox cub that was found in a garden in Leyton, east London. When she arrived to collect the cub, she could also hear his siblings calling from the garden next door.

Nicola said: “The neighbours kindly let me take a look and sure enough there were two more cubs, who were also very hungry and crying. I popped all three cubs...

RSPCA Millbrook Animal Centre in Chobham received a call from a member of the public who had seen the cat straying in Shere, Guildford, on Tuesday (January 21).

Fortunately she was able to catch the cat, who appeared friendly, and brought her into the centre that same day.

After scanning the black female cat for a microchip staff there found an email address for an owner and realised she must be a missing pet.

Ysella Sims, who now lives 162 miles away in Exeter, was shocked when by chance she was checking an old email address just days later and saw the message....

An RSPCA officer was called in to help a collapsed fox that turned out to be taxidermy.

Inspector Ellie Burt went to Farm Hill, Exeter, in Devon, on Monday (8 April) after a local resident grew concerned for a fox that had been hiding under a bush in the area.

She said: “The fox was described as lethargic and collapsed in the undergrowth. The caller said it had been losing weight in recent weeks and hadn’t moved for the past few days.

“We asked them to try the broom test - to ensure the fox was still alive - and were told that it didn’t move but tracked them with...