A FERMANAGH animal sanctuary has said they’re facing a “huge concern” as the number of kittens and animals being abandoned throughout the county reaches a record high.
Bright Eyes Animal Sanctuary in Ballinamallard is on the brink of collapse and they’ve released an urgent appeal encouraging Fermanagh pet-lovers to take some of the abandoned animals into their homes.
“This is only the start of kitten season and the amount of stray cats is a huge concern,” a spokesperson for Bright Eyes Animal Sanctuary told the Herald.
“Our kennels are full to capacity and we are struggling to get dogs rehomed. We just managed to rehome five kittens and then we received five new ones in by the end of that same day.”
There has been a sharp rise in reported abandonment of pets throughout the North, with some leading animal sanctuaries suggesting that the cost of living crisis could be a key factor.
Bright Eyes Animal Sanctuary was recently contacted by a Fermanagh resident after they came across a stray cat that had been seriously injured in a road crash.
“We had a member of the public call us about a cat that had been hit by a car that we took and brought to The Brook Veterinary Clinic in Enniskillen,” said the Bright Eyes Animal Sanctuary employee. It has to remain in the vets for the week as its injuries need medical attention and it needs to be sedated to receive treatment.
“When we get home in the sanctuary, it will cause a lot more workload for the girls to treat him and care for all the kittens and mums that we have.”
The Ballinamallard-based animal shelter is concerned that the welfare and safety of pets are at risk and they’re encouraging owners to be more responsible.
“A gentleman from Trillick landed to the sanctuary with two stray cats that we had to take in. One looks in bad shape with a lot of cuts and bald patches,” they said.
“We have isolated them until we can bring to the vets this week. We had no room but had to use an outdoor facility to hold them as we don’t want them going back to where they were.”
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