A RESCUE centre in Kidderminster has launched an appeal to raise £3,000 to help it expand its facility and take in more than double the amount of unwanted pets.
Lyndsey Hill set up Greatfield Small Animal Rescue in a shed in her back garden in Kidderminster last March, but she had no idea then how much demand there was in Wyre Forest and beyond for such a service.
In the last 12 months, Greatfield has helped over 500 small animals, both domestic and wild, with enquiries coming in from as far as Scotland, Wales and Cornwall.
But with the rescue centre now at full capacity, with over 60 animals in her care, Lyndsey is appealing for the public's support to help Greatfield expand.
"We're operating out of a shed at the moment," said Lyndsey. "It's fully kitted out and insulated but it's only got a short life span.
"We need a new building to improve the longevity of the rescue centre but also so that we can take in greater numbers of animals.
"We started out just taking in a couple of guinea pigs and a few mice here and there, but the demand has just exploded.
"About 80 per cent of the animals we take in are from the Kidderminster area, but because of the nature of what we do - we take in a lot of small rodents so it's quite niche - we're being asked to take in mice from all over the place.
"We're struggling at the moment to house the animals that we're being asked to take in. We were asked the other week if we could take on 30 mice and 18 guinea pigs but we had to say no because we're just too busy.
"This money would allow us to provide better housing, with more space for the animals, and allow us to increase our numbers. We'll be able to increase the number of rodents we take in by 60 per cent."
Lyndsey and her husband have already built a concrete base in their garden for the new building, paid for with their own money. The £3,000 in donations will also pay for the new building to be fully insulated and heated.
It costs around £30 a day to run Greatfield Small Animal Rescue, including veterinary bills, neutering and food, but the centre relies solely on self-funding and donations.
To donate online towards the appeal, click here.
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