An animal rescue sanctuary has been "inundated" by the number of small animals needing homes, with hundreds of cats and rabbits on their growing waiting list.

Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary in Edenfield currently has around 600 cats and rabbits waiting to be taken in from people who can no longer look after them.  

Sanctuary manager Karen Weed said: “It’s quite dire at the moment and we’re just trying to help as much as we can.

“We’re seeing the backlog from Covid, which we did expect. The number of animals wanting our help has dramatically increased, as it has for all local rescues.

“Animal welfare, I’d say, has gone back about 10 years. It’s really, really bad at the moment.”

The sanctuary supports all kinds of animals that need rehoming, alongside providing forever homes for those who need a safe and comfortable sanctuary to live out the rest of their days.

Karen said: “At the moment, lots of animals are coming to us in really, really bad states with many animals coming into us needing surgery.

“With the state of the animals coming into us and the volume, we’re seeing it more so on cats in this area.

“The waiting list is absolutely horrendous. The number of people not vaccinating their cats, not neutering their cats.

“They come in ill and we’re having to nurse them back to health."

Bleakholt has around 600 cats and rabbits on its waiting list Bleakholt has around 600 cats and rabbits on its waiting list (Image: Lisa Valentine Newsquest) The vet bills are topping more than £40,000 some months, which is taking a “massive toll” on the charity’s funding.

It costs around £1.6m per year to keep the charity going and they rely heavily on public donations, fundraising and support from volunteers, from dog walking and maintenance to gardening and cleaning out the many animal enclosures on site.

Karen added: “Luckily, we do have some fantastic supporters and adopters who do come and take animals and get amazing homes for them but the number needing homes far outweighs the number of people wanting pets at the moment.

“It is a very, very difficult time.”

The charity has been running for almost 60 years, having first begun with founder Olive Lomas rescuing a single donkey from slaughter and expanding across the decades to support an array of animals from rabbits and rats to mules and goats.  

People who are interested in adopting animals can call 01706 822577, visit the sanctuary from 11am to 4pm from Thursdays to Sundays, or find more information on Bleakholt's website.