Immingham dogs home full due to cost of living, owner says

The rising cost of living is to blame for a dog rescue centre in North Lincolnshire reaching full capacity, its boss has said.

Immingham Dogs Home charity currently has a waiting list of canines needing rehoming as there was no further room, according to centre owner Kelly Magee.

When told there was no space, some people said they would have to put their pets to sleep, Ms Magee said.

"People just financially can't afford their dog," she added.

Ms Magee said previously the kennel would rehome three to five dogs a week, but staff were now receiving about five calls a day from owners asking the centre to take their dogs.

They were rehoming about two pets a week and all 37 kennels at the site were now full, she said.

"It's mainly down to the cost of living. People are working more hours or they are having to take on second jobs," said Ms Magee.

"If we can't take the dog, then quite often we are threatened by owners saying, 'well, we don't have any other choice, we will have to have them put to sleep'.

"That leads to me not sleeping because I worry constantly about these dogs and what's going to happen to them."

While the cost of keeping a pet had increased for owners, it had also increased for charities, Ms Magee said.

The centre was spending thousands of pounds a month on vets' bills alone, she added.

Immingham Dogs Home volunteer Rachael Shaw said: "Every time there's a chance to try to raise a bit more money to ease the financial straits the centre experiences, we are happy to pitch in."

Meanwhile, Ms Magee said she was "always" worried about whether the charity could keep going.

"All I have got is the hope that people will still help us," she said.

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