Cost of living: Foster carers needed as people give up pets

RSPCA Derby needs foster homes for dogs, cats, rabbits and small animals

An RSPCA rehoming centre is looking for foster carers due to a "huge increase" in people giving up their pets amid the cost of living crisis.

The centre in Derby is full to capacity, and staff say many people have been cancelling their reservations for pets.

Nationally the RSPCA has warned that thousands of people cannot afford to care for their animals.

In Derby, foster homes are needed for dogs, cats, rabbits and small animals.

The RSPCA has warned that thousands of people cannot afford to care for their pets

Lucy Bell, from Abbey Street Animal Rehoming Centre, said: "We always run at full but we have seen a huge increase in phone calls for people wanting to bring their animals in.

"It is also taking us a little longer to get the ones we have in at the centre into homes. A lot of people have cancelled reservations due to the current financial climate."

Foster carers provide temporary homes for animals for several reasons, which include:

• The animal is elderly or an infant

• The animal is recovering from an illness or injury

• The animal is pregnant or nursing

• The animal needs extra care and would benefit from being in a home

Some animals will stay in their foster home until they are rehomed, while some go into a foster home for a short time, then come back into the centre before they are rehomed.

RSPCA Derby, which is an independent, self-funded charity, said anyone interested in offering a foster home can complete an application via its website.