The RSPCA column Business as ‘normal’ at animal centre
AS the latest ‘No more than six’ social gathering rule beds in, please be aware that it’s still business as per the new normal here at the Animal Centre, New Cut Lane, Southport.
Pet ownership remains to be one of the most popular ways to relax and exercise there is.
It was inevitable that our rehoming levels would soon reach pre-Covid-19 levels again, and so they have.
Yes, it’s still pretty strange not to have people walking through our front door, but by careful navigation of our online process, it is still possible to rehome successfully, with very little direct social interaction with our public.
Exchanging pictures and videos via the internet hasn’t been without its difficulties, but most people usually find a way to get to us what we need.
It was all about finding different ways to do things and some of these new procedures will extend beyond the pandemic.
You do get to meet and greet your new pet before adopting and even socially interact with other pets as appropriate.
Ideally, we now like to combine that meeting with a collection visit, but when more visits are required, such interaction is still encouraged and it all takes place outside and socially distanced.
The only exception to this is for cats, rather obviously!
We are also very pleased to announce the recent rehoming of Bruno dog, who had been at the centre for more than 245 days.
He had featured in many news articles as well many social media posts and we are so thrilled he has now been rehomed. He is now enjoying his retirement with his new family.
Additionally, cats Tilly and India have found success and waved us goodbye – we wish them all the best.
What hasn’t recovered for us so well is our ability to raise funds.
Our family fun day was cancelled during summer, losing us about £3,000 in income and as Christmas approaches, it is most likely that our Christmas fair will go the same way, losing us another £3,000.
However, plans are currently hatching to run our grand Christmas draw remotely, perhaps taking payments for tickets over the phone.
We will be happy for people to drop off any potential draw prizes (sorry, via the donation bin outside our front door, please) and for our already enrolled volunteers to sell whatever tickets they can in socially-distanced mode.
I’ll give more details in my future articles, on our website – www.rspcaouthport.org and on our Facebook page.
Animals that we currently have for adoption include older male Pedro dog and older female cat Nelley.
Pedro is a Great Dane/mastiff cross.
He is a very large boy who has just turned nine and is now ready to find his forever family/adult only household.
Pedro needs to be the only pet in the home and his new owners need to have large breed experience and be around for him a lot of the time.
Pedro cannot be left alone for long periods of time. He is a friendly boy and is a big softie who loves company and attention.
He loves to potter about, sniffing and exploring, sometimes becoming quite engrossed, but he can be brought round with treats.
Pedro can be a little stubborn at times – he certainly knows his own mind!
He’s a very strong boy, but does walk well on lead once he has settled into his walk.
We have been putting a halti lead on Pedro, which he has taken to well and it helps when walking this big lad.
Pedro just wants to be the centre of attention in a loving home.
Nelley is a gorgeous long-haired lady who has found herself needing a new home at the age of 12 years, after her previous owner sadly passed away.
Nelley has a lovely temperament and is an extremely affectionate girl, ideally looking for a home with owners who are at home a lot.
She will require frequent brushing to keep her long fur in top condition.
She is ok being brushed, but seems to get over stimulated and will keep moving around when you brush her, so short sessions will be best to begin with.
Nelley will be best suited to being the only pet in the household so she can get all the attention she deserves.
Due to her relaxed and friendly demeanour, she can live with children aged ten-plus, but a quiet, calm household will suit her best.
Nelley is the perfect lap cat for someone looking for a feline friend.
Pedro’s and Nelley’s assessments are ongoing and may be subject to change, so please check/ask for updates.
We currently have strict procedures in place (approved by Defra) which must be followed when adopting any animal.
Please read these at www.rspcasouthport.org/adopting before contacting us to register your interest.
You will find a link for a ‘Perfect Match’ form for dogs on the above website – please print one off, fill in, scan or photograph it and email it back to us at info@rspcasouthport. co.uk.