Festival boosts 'inundated' animal rescue charities

"Overwhelmed" animal charities "inundated" with abandoned pets have joined forces at a special fundraising festival to showcase the reality of what they are facing.

Rescuefest at Walton Hall Park, Liverpool, was set up to raise money and awareness of animal welfare charities who are struggling to cope with an influx of unwanted pets.

The family friendly festival, organised by People's Animal Welfare Society (PAW), was also designed to encourage people to adopt rescue animals rather than buy pets.

The society's Hannah Carter said the charities at the event rely entirely on public donations and the demands on them have never been as high.

The 33-year-old said: "None of the charities here have any outside funding. We all rely solely on donations from the public.

"Volunteers are really hard to come across and we've got more animals coming through our door than than ever before."

Mrs Carter said with the current cost of living some owners can no longer afford their pets while other animals they are taking in were bought during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown for companionship.

"These animals are now three, four years old and because they weren't socialised the families can no longer cope with them," she said.

The Wirral Animal Samaritans was another charity attending.

Among the unwanted pets it is caring for are a tarantula spider and a boa constrictor snake.

Volunteer Sally Copson-Moore said there are various reasons people give up their pets such as having to move house, downsizing and having children.

She said: "We are just inundated with everything at the minute - wildlife, dogs, cats."

Louise Doyle, from the Woodlands Animal Sanctuary, based in Ormskirk, said: "We haven't had a month so far this year where we've not had a litter of kittens.

"It is astounding the numbers that we're having to take in and for every cat that comes in that's either pregnant or with a litter of kittens, on average, it costs £1,600 before they're all rehomed."

Mrs Carter said PAW, which she founded with her husband David, was hoping to hold more Rescuefest events after the success of its first one on Sunday.

She said about 3,000-4,000 people attended and charities attracted new volunteers, while some of the rescue pets were adopted.

"We would like to stage Rescuefest in other parts of the country now, too," she added.

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