Cost of living sees high demand for Ipswich RSPCA clinic

Vet Dr Ellie Cole said the service had become a lifeline for cash-strapped owners

Staff at a veterinary clinic run by the RSPCA say the service has seen its busiest ever month as the cost-of-living crisis deepens.

The Barn Vets, in Ipswich, offers consultations and treatment in return for a donation and reduced care costs.

Vet Ellie Cole said owners were increasingly turning to the charity as they struggle to afford vet visits.

"You want to save every animal but you realise money plays a big part - that's really heartbreaking," she said.

The clinic in Ipswich has seen demand soar

Clinic manager Rebecca Moll says they want to prevent animals being abandoned

Its Ipswich Welfare Clinic, which opened in 1962, treats between 170 and 190 animals each month - an increase of about 20% since July last year.

Staff treated 221 animals in August alone, clinic manager Rebecca Moll said.

"A lot of it is a throwback to the puppy boom of the pandemic - people got puppies but can't afford to take them to the vet," she added.

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"We ask for a £12 donation for a consultation - at the normal vets it's £40-£50, and we supply drugs at cost price.

"We never turn a sick animal away and we run a big neutering campaign so hopefully it will prevent more animals on the streets," she said.

Ms Moll said owners travel from all over Suffolk to the service and a new clinic opened in Stowmarket to cope with demand.

Pauline Jones said it was difficult to afford the costs associated with owning an animal

Pauline Jones, 61, bought her cat at 11 weeks in 2018 and brought her to the clinic for treatment for arthritic hips.

"It is really tough to find the money to pay her fees and insurance, and food is so expensive," she said.

"It would have cost £45 or more but I paid £18 today."

Ms Jones lives on disability benefits, like cat owner Ian Morrison, 54, also from Ipswich.

Ian Morrison said giving his cat a home was the most important thing

Mr Morrison has taken his cat to the clinic with an eye infection.

"To see a vet in Ipswich, it is £45 to £60 before you even go in the door - people haven't got it," he said.

"It is what it is - you have to get on with it.

"She's not going to lose her eye, I'm not going to have to pay £500 to have her eye taken out."

Christina Ablett said she used to be financially stable and afford vet bills

Christina Ablett, 34, from Saxmundham, said that without the service she would not have been able to get her dog neutered.

The clinic provided a voucher to get the procedure done at her vets.

"If it weren't for this service I don't know how I would have afforded to get her neutered," she said.

"I'd rather stand in the queue here than risk losing my dog."

Dr Cole said she had seen a large increase in demand in the last six months alone.

"People say they have so many other bills to pay, they cannot afford to treat their pets, which is really upsetting for them, they're part of their lives," she said.

"When you qualify as a vet you want to save every life.

"This is a huge lifeline for people in Ipswich."