Animal rescue centre fears for future (From Oxford Mail)

Animal rescue centre fears for future

7:00am Saturday 27th December 2008 in

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Hundreds of animals’ lives could be at risk if a struggling Oxfordshire animal sanctuary is forced to close as the recession bites.

Staff at the Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary said the 41-year-old charity was on the brink of financial collapse and appealed for help.

They said they would do everything possible to rehome the hundreds of dogs, cats and rabbits living at the centre if it was forced to shut — but warned some could have to be put down.

Manager Ron Heath said the centre was in its worst financial position since opening in 1967 due to spiralling costs and falling donations.

He said: “We are getting to the stage now where unless we start getting some serious funds in we could go bust.

“Like any other business we are really struggling at the moment.

“We are completely self-funding and we rely on the people of Oxfordshire for donations — they have been brilliant but it is still not enough.

“If things do not get better we could close at any time. We would have to try to find other places that would take the animals in.

“We have a no-destroy policy and we would do everything we could, but if we had to close we could actually have to do that – and we do not want to.”

Mr Heath said the Stadhamptonsanctuary had been hit by spiralling food bills, falling donations and increasing numbers of pets being abandoned because of owners’ financial problems.

The centre costs £750,000 a year to run, but currently has less than £100,000 in the bank. In september 2007 it had savings worth about £509,000.

Mr Heath said weekly food bills had risen by an average of £60 since the beginning of October, up from just over £500 to nearly £600.

The centre is currently looking after 97 dogs, 120 cats and 40 rabbits.

Over the past seven months, it has taken in 334 animals — up to 90 of which staff believe were abandoned due to financial hardship.

During the seven months prior to that it took in 324 animals — with less than 42 of them being abandoned because of their owners’ financial problems.

When asked how long the sanctuary could survive if the current situation continued, Mr Heath said: “It could be months. We are in a very desperate situation.

“The survival of the sanctuary, whether we keep going or not, is up to the people of Oxfordshire. It is a really crucial time.”

Pensioner Michael Hugh-Jones, of Headley Way, Oxford, has supported the animal sanctuary since it opened.

The 80-year-old said: “If it closed I would be very upset indeed. The recession is certainly not the fault of the animals.

“If human beings are made homeless then I am sorry for them but in the last resort the council will help them — if the animals at Stadhampton are made homeless there are no councils to come and help them.”

Anyone wanting to donate to the centre should call 01865 890239.