‘Heartbreaking’: Northamptonshire animal shelters running at full capacity as owners cannot afford to keep pets

Animal shelters in Northamptonshire have spoken out about how rising living costs and veterinary bills have left them bursting at the seams with pets that owners can no longer afford to care for.

Admissions at the Animals In Need charity in Irchester have risen by 50 percent compared to this time last year.

Shelter manager, Annie Marriott, told this newspaper that - in the last month alone - 11 tortoises have been handed in because owners could not afford to keep their vivariums heated.

A pony and five cats were also given up because their owners could not afford to care for them - including a pregnant cat, who then had three kittens in the shelter.

“It is sad for the people and really stressful,” Annie said, “It is really heartbreaking to see all the animals coming in.

“There are some really desperate people out there. There’s just not enough room for all the animals that need to come in. All the shelters I know of are running at full capacity.

“It makes you quite anxious because you don’t know what you are going to be asked to take in next.”

During this newspaper’s seven minute phone interview with Annie, Animals In Need was asked to take in a pony, three pygmy goats and a cat.

On Friday (September 16), two puppies were also left at the end of the charity’s drive. They were both ill and had to be taken straight to the vets for “life-saving” treatment.

Annie told this newspaper there were less admissions during the coronavirus pandemic as everyone was at home with their animals, however - as lockdown restrictions eased and more people returned to work - many pet owners found they no longer had time for their animals.

The animal shelter manager also believes that the cost of living crisis has a part to play in the problem. She revealed that the charity’s energy bill across four months at the start of the year came to a jaw-dropping £30,000.

Annie said: “That was before it even started hiking so what is it going to be like now?

“The world’s gone mad. The fuel companies are making billions while the likes of us struggle. People are just not going to turn their heating on and a lot of people are going to die this winter. They should be ashamed of themselves.”

Animals In Need always offer to help pet owners with food, cat litter, bedding and other necessities but cannot help with vet bills as they struggle to cover their own vet bills. They also send pet food to food banks for pet owners in need.

A cat recently left on the charity’s driveway gave birth to six kittens - one of which sadly passed away - and one volunteer had to take them all home and keep them in her bedroom as there was no room in the shelter.

Annie said: “I think it is just the start and it is going to get so much worse. We are running at full capacity and people will run out of money with these rising prices and there will be no more donations and then what? We are totally public funded.

“The Government have got to step in and stop the rises.”

This newspaper also spoke with the acting co-ordinator and admissions officer at Cats Protection Northampton, Hilde, who said they have seen a considerable rise in pet owners giving up their cats as a result of rising costs.

Hilde said: “In some cases it is the rising cost of food but in many cases it is the recent increases in veterinary costs. We have people who would like to keep their cats applying to us for help with vet bills.”

The waiting list for cats to come into foster care and be rehomed at the Northampton Cats Protection branch currently stands at over 100. This is around 40 per cent higher than usual for this time of year, according to the shelter.

Hilde continued: “Some of it is due to the fact that, during the pandemic, the vets were not carrying out routine neutering operations, so cats have remained fertile and have bred kittens, which need homes.

“Some of these kittens have become adults and are also breeding while there is still a local shortage of vets to perform routine operations.”

The latest figures from Cats Protection show a 54 per cent increase in cats relinquished for financial reasons compared to 2021.