Ayr Animal Welfare - Cruelty is Pet Hate

Aug 1 2008 By Lauren Hazlett

A SHOCKING 704 people tried to abandon pets to the care of Ayr Animal Welfare Centre in the last year.

And continued cruelty to defenceless creatures means that there’s little respite for hard-pressed staff charged with caring for them.

This week the Post takes a look behind the scenes at the centre and discovers why the service it provides is more vital than ever.

Assistant manager Lynda Hourston, 33, has witnessed some horrific cases of animal cruelty in her eight years at the SSPCA run welfare centre at Mainholm Holdings.

She said: “For this kind of job you can’t be too soft. You need patience, tact and diplomacy.

“One of the worst cases I have seen was when a mongrel was brought in to us after being burnt with oil or water.

“Its fur was so matted that it actually cut the circulation off its leg, which was beginning to fall off.

“The dog had to be put down in the end.”

Lynda spent three years in voluntary work in places such as the heads of Ayr Farm Park and veterinary practices before landing her job at the centre.

She insists that the work done there is vitally important.

And she revealed why many animals wind up in her care.

She explained: “Too many people bring in unwanted pets because they didn't do the right research.”

The centre cares for abused and abandoned animals from across Ayrshire and beyond.

But with only nine kennels, space is at a premium.

One of the main objectives is to find new homes with loving families for the multitude of animals that staff and volunteers care for. They also offer advice and support to pet owners struggling to cope.

Lynda added: “Our priority is to get animals re-homed and for them not to come back.

“We have re-homing questionnaires for people to fill out but it also depends on how they come across to us, they must be suitable.”

The centre receives no government funding and depends entirely on the public’s generosity to survive.

Donations of cash, toys, blankets and even food are always welcome.

Lynda said: “Every little helps. Even a small amount is brilliant.”