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Animal charity appeals for foster carers as it prepares to leave base

BBC A dog named LassieBBC
Lassie is one of the dogs in the care of RSPCA Northamptonshire which needs a foster home

An animal charity branch is urgently seeking people to foster its animals as it prepares to leave its current home.

The Northamptonshire RSPCA has to leave its base in Brixworth in July because the lease is up - and does not yet have an alternative.

Most of the animals are dogs and cats but it also has rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, hamsters and gerbils.

Julie Clift, from the RSPCA, said: "In the short term we don't have any other option."

A cat at the RSPCA
Ideally foster homes will have experience of look after dogs, cats or other animals the RSPCA said

The charity said the dogs in its seven kennels would be leaving the centre on 1 May - and the cats in its 11 pens would have to leave by 1 July.

All animals taken into the RSPCA's care in Northamptonshire will have to be fostered, it said.

Ms Clift, the fostering coordinator, said the appeal came "just before the busy summer season".

"We desperately need foster carers to come forward," she said.

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Staff will work with foster carers, undertake the charity's other work and also continue to use its community hub in Rushden.

Ms Clift said the RSPCA was looking for new premises but "there are not a lot around at the moment".

Kate Whitehead from the RSPCA in Northamptonshire said fostering an animal can be for as short as two weeks until a permanent home is found, or can be for a few months with poorly animals.

"They need our help, that's what we are here for, we just need people's help until we can find premises to call our own," she said.

A dog called Flossie running with Kate Whitehead in the background
Kate Whitehead said dogs like Flossie had an offer of a permanent home but a foster home helps with the transition
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