Scottish Charity aims to find homes for 63 rescue pets

The Scottish SPCA is encouraging animal lovers in Edinburgh and the Lothians to consider giving a rescue pet a second chance at happiness.

Staff at the charity’s Edinburgh and Lothians Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Balerno are hoping to find new homes for 63 dogs, cats, rabbits, small furries, horses and other pets in their care this Rehoming Week, which runs from 8-14 May.

Centre Manager Diane Aitchison said, “Last year our centre found wonderful new homes for nearly 600 pets but there’s always more we can do to raise awareness of the number of rescue animals in our care and that’s what Rehoming Week is all about.

“Rehoming Week is an opportunity for us to shout about the benefits of rehoming a rescue pet and to remind people that rescue pets make great pets!

“Many of the animals at our centre were rescued from lives of abuse or neglect and some were even discarded like rubbish when their owners decided they no longer wanted to look after them.

“It’s heart-breaking to think about but locals can help by giving one of these pets a second chance or spreading the word about our centre to friends and family.

“Because we never put healthy animals to sleep, we are regularly operating at full capacity so the sooner we can find our animals new homes the better as this frees up a space for another pet in need.

“While we’d love to hear from anyone interested in offering one of our rescue pets a fresh start, we must stress that no one should ever make an impulse decision to rehome an animal.

“A pet is a long-term commitment and potential owners must have the time, commitment and resources available to provide for their needs, including paying for any vet bills required.

“Anyone thinking of taking on a pet is more than welcome to come along to our centre to discuss rehoming and meet some of our fantastic animals for themselves.”

The Scottish SPCA’s Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Edinburgh is open from 10am to 4pm Wednesday to Monday. Potential owners can also contact the centre by calling 03000 999 999 or visiting the rehoming section on the Scottish SPCA website here: www.scottishspca.org/rehome/.

Centre Manager Diane Aitchison said, “Rosie, the rabbit, arrived at the centre as a stray and shortly afterwards gave birth to a litter of kittens.

“All of Rosie’s litter were rehomed and 360 days later she’s still looking for somewhere to spend the rest of her days.

“Rosie has pasturella which is highly contagious. This means she needs to be the only rabbit in the household or she could potentially be rehomed and bonded with another rabbit who has this condition. Pasturella is a lifelong disease that any new owner will need to make themselves familiar with.”

If you can offer Rosie the home she so badly deserves then please contact the Scottish SPCA Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Edinburgh on 03000 999 999.

Photo by Scottish SPCA