Irthlingborough animal rescue charity 'won't let the animals down' but spiralling costs mean no more admissions

The founders of an Irthlingborough animal rescue charity that has stopped taking in unwanted pets say they have had no choice but to close its doors due to spiralling costs.

Northamptonshire Animals Needing Nurturing & Adoption, known as NANNA, will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year but their work for incoming animals has been paused.

Petrina and Michael Alderman, along with their daughter Carla and volunteers, continue to help wildlife and re-home pets but currently cannot offer sanctuary for unwanted pets.

Their Higglety Pigglety Farm off the A6 is home to hundreds of animals but it is the increase in vet bills – especially for cats – that has seen the sanctuary reach crisis point.

Mrs Alderman said: “We have taken in 70 cats over four weeks which we had the money for, then our vet’s prices went up. It’s not just that, the price of cat litter has doubled.”

Earlier this month concerned residents called NANNA to report ‘ten’ strays that needed care, but when they arrived and humanely trapped the cats, they discovered 27 that needed help.

The cats can be rehomed but the charity is now losing money on each one they treat. Costs are recouped when new owners make donations but they estimate they are losing £60 per cat.

Mrs Alderman said: "People want a ‘cheap’ pet so you can’t increase your prices. We don’t let cats and kittens go until they are neutered, vaccinated, chipped, wormed, treated for fleas and tested for feline AIDS and leukaemia. That all costs money.

“Last week we had the vet out to do 80 vaccinations. What would have cost us £1,000 cost an increased £668. It’s not the vets’ fault, it’s just everything is going up.”

As well as felines, volunteers are currently caring for 32 abandoned and unwanted dogs. An increase in dog disease canine brucellosis has led to increased costs for the charity as they screen animals for the illness – an increase due to imported animals.

The Alderman family is now looking to sell their family home to make ends meet.

Mrs Alderman said: “I can’t let the animals down – we have over 800 animals in our care. This is my life, not part of my life. I’m selling my home, we have no other option. We’ll just keep going. I know somehow we’ll muddle through. You can’t keep increasing your prices and you can’t keep asking the same people for help. I’m praying things will work out but we need to raise funds.”

She added: “We have kept the charity going. Every two to three years we reach this point but this time, the light at the end of the tunnel is a dim flicker.”

Cats and kittens can be adopted for a minimum donation of £90 per animal. Kittens are rehomed in bonded pairs when they are six months old or older.

They do not get rehomed into families who have children aged five-years-old or under.

Call NANNA on Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday, after 11am, to book an appointment on Saturday or Sunday. Contact the charity on 07921 215 049.