30 Nov 2023
The Scottish Dog and Cat Home says the number of rehoming requests is so high it can only take in a fraction of the animals that need its help.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Sandra Gilmour pictured with her red Labrador Reggie, by the Forth Bridge.
A Scottish welfare charity has launched a new winter appeal amid the soaring need for help among pet owners.
The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home has warned current levels of need are so great it can only take in around one in seven of all the rehoming requests it is receiving.
Officials have described the present crisis as “unprecedented”, with requests for other forms of support also up by at least a third.
Chief executive Lindsay Fyffe-Jardine said: “Now more than ever we’re relying on funding from public donations to enable us to support owners going through hard times to stay together with their pets.”
The new appeal highlights the stories of some of the animals who have been successfully rehomed in the hope that others who are currently in the charity’s care can enjoy a similar outcome.
The group said it has received 1,208 individual surrender requests so far this year, more than ever before, affecting 898 dogs and 479 cats in all.
Separately, requests for support from owners wanting to keep their pets have risen by 33%, while demand for the home’s food bank service is said to have increased by nearly 40%.
The charity said the rapid increase in demand meant they were unable to take in almost 86% of the rehoming requests it has received.
But it estimated that its range of outreach services has helped to keep more than 4,500 pets with their owners while new homes have been found for 220 others.
More information about the appeal is available here (https://edch.org.uk/winterappeal/).
