Devon animal charity to close due to rising costs

The North Devon Animal Ambulance was set up 23 years ago

A popular south-west England animal welfare charity is set to close within the next few weeks, bosses say.

The North Devon Animal Ambulance (NDAA) was set up 23 years ago to provide treatment for sick animals and find new homes for unwanted pets.

The charity has blamed a combination of rising vets' bills and the increasing age of volunteers and trustees.

Although everyone who worked at the charity was there on a voluntary basis, the organisation still had to pay for medicine and outsource complex treatments such surgery and X-rays, managers said.

Even with discounts in place, bills for medicine and treatments came to more than £200,000 per year, they added.

Charity founder Diana Lewis said: “All six of our trustees are in their 80s.

“We are unable to do the actual physical work of running the charity, providing the services that we do and raise the money. Therefore we have had to call it a day.”

Clients in the service's waiting room in Barnstaple told the BBC they were saddened and concerned to hear the service was closing.

Diana Lewis said she wanted to thank the people of North Devon for their kind words since the closure was announced

Dog owner Tracie Mc Donald said: “I’m devastated for everybody, not just for myself, but for all the people that run it because they are so dedicated.”

Tony Grant said, “It's sad really, isn’t it?

"Where else are we going to take our pets? Vets are dear.”

Ambulance driver Diana Lewis said she wanted to thank the people of north Devon for their many kind words since the closure was announced.

She said she hoped other animal charities in the area would be able to help pick up the extra workload.

She said: “I really can’t find the words to describe the worry that those animals I don’t even know about yet, and their owners, will suffer. “

The NDAA is due to close its doors on 31 August.