A Perthshire charity that provides care for abandoned dogs is facing unprecedented financial pressures.
It costs the Perthshire Abandoned Dogs Society (PADS) more than £80,000 a year to run its rescue centre and kennels at Forteviot.
But it is now facing the simultaneous challenges of rising bills, a significant reduction in donations, and a rise in the number of dogs being abandoned.
On average, the rescue centre takes in around 300 dogs annually, from the police, dog wardens and from members of the public who can no longer look after them.
People often have to give up their dogs due to relationship breakdown, illness or hospitalisation, while others are simply lost and around a third are eventually returned to their owners.
In recent years, however, the recession has meant that an increasing number of people have become so financially stretched that they are deciding to give up family pets.
The old adage ”A dog is for life, not just for Christmas” is sadly still one that needs to be reiterated as PADS prepares itself for an influx of animals after the festive euphoria has died down.
Charities across the board have also been hit by a drop in funds as the public tighten their belts and consequently have less money to support good causes.
The money to support PADS rescue centre comes from a combination of donations, legacies and fund-raising, such as an annual charity shop and the Scrufts Dog Show.
The charity’s chairman, Dr Alison Kennedy, said: ”PADS, like most other charities, is feeling the pinch during these hard, uncertain financial times.
”It needs help from all the animal lovers in Perthshire to fund the continued running of the kennels at Forteviot.
”Christmas is on the way and no doubt we will have to take in a large number of abandoned animals, and inflation means that the cost of running our kennels goes up and up by the month.”
Abandoned dogs are looked after at the Forteviot kennels until they are fit enough for PADS to find them new and loving homes.
Anyone thinking about giving a new life to a dog can visit the PADS Kennels at Forteviot, which are open from 1pm to 3pm on weekdays and from 1pm to 3.30pm at weekends.For more information visit padsdogrescue.com