Desperate plea for help as Northamptonshire's Animals In Need reaches capacity again

A Northamptonshire charity is desperately appealing for help to re-home the animals in its care as it reaches capacity again.

Back in July, this newspaper reported that with more than 70 dogs and 40 cats as well as 360 wildlife patients, Animals In Need was desperate to re-home as many animals as possible to make room for others coming in.

People from across the county came forward with donations of money, time and homes for the animals, but sadly the charity in Little Irchester is bursting at the seams once again.

Sanctuary manager Annie Marriott told this newspaper: “We are full to the rafters, we have got animals everywhere.

"We have got animals in our grooming room, in our vet room and in the rehab room.

"We had two ponies in a horse box brought in but we had to turn them away as we have nowhere to put them – there’s literally nowhere to put them at the moment.

"I am at my wits’ end, I don’t know what the answer is.”

As well as the ponies who they couldn’t take in, this week saw two tortoises brought in as well as two Bichon Frise dogs and some guinea pigs who had been dumped in a box in Wellingborough.

A recent rescue also saw Annie called out to two adult Royal Pythons tied up in hessian bags in Northampton, but thankfully these 6ft-long creatures have since been re-homed.

Annie said: “We are over-run with just about everything.

"It is a crisis for me, I have been doing this for 24 years and it is absolute hell.

"Every time I pick up my phone people are saying can you take this?

"Re-homing is really quiet too.

"We could re-home 30 dogs a month pre-Covid but now it’s about 10 dogs a month.

"It’s like I am swimming against the tide, I am so tired.”

While homes for the animals are the priority, the charity is also appealing for decent quality food, any old towels/blankets (but not duvets), financial contributions and prizes for their fundraising raffles/tombolas.

Volunteering is another way people can show their support.

Annie would love to recruit more foster carers who could take animals in while waiting for their forever homes and full-time staff to join their small but mighty team.

Annie said: "The team are absolute angels, I would be absolutely stuffed without them."

But added: “We can’t even get paid staff at the moment, it is so hard.”

While the cost of living crisis seems to be one of the reasons more and more owners are having to give up their animals, the rising cost in food and energy is equally hitting the charity hard.

Annie said: “Our electric bill through the winter is just not worth thinking about.”

But despite all the challenges that Annie and her team are facing, she is still up at 5am every day to give the animals the love and care that they deserve.

And she’ll keep going – in the words of Ronan Keating, she said: "Life is a rollercoaster, just got to ride it.”

All the animals in need of re-homing are on the Animals In Need website or its social media pages.

If you can help in any way email [email protected]