RSPCA not putting cats to sleep

I would like to assure everyone that we do not, and never have, put any animal to sleep because we cannot find a home for it. The only time an animal is put to sleep is when a vet advises us that the animal is suffering or has no quality of life. We don’t have an animal centre unfortunately which means that we have to pay to board our cats privately or, hopefully, use fosterers until we can find them a new, loving home.

We have had cats in our care for well over 12 months, not ideal but we will wait as long as it takes to find them the right home. Within the last week we have taken in some gerbils which had been abandoned in a hedge, some seven week old kittens also abandoned and a three-legged cat whose owners have not come forward to claim her.

The committee members are all volunteers. We take animals into our own homes if there is nowhere else for them to go and none of us would condone putting an animal to sleep unless a vet advised us to do so for the animal’s welfare. We are all very upset at the allegation which you reported and I have spoken to Margaret Cliffe to reassure her that we never, ever put a healthy animal to sleep.

We have had the busiest 12 months that I can ever remember and the fact that we don’t have an animal home means that people looking to adopt a pet are not always aware that they can adopt one from their local RSPCA branch. We cover a large part of Warwickshire including Leamington, Kenilworth, Southam and Warwick and have been active for decades.

We are a self funding branch and receive no financial help from the national RSPCA. Our money is raised in our charity shops in Leamington, Kenilworth and Southam and from kind donations. If anyone is thinking of adopting a pet or would like to become a fosterer we would appeal that they call us on 0786 774 3827 as we are desperate to see our animals go to loving homes. - Alison Hamlin, branch chairman, Warwickshire South and East RSPCA.