Free pet care offer for hard-working NHS staff

Despite having to close all of their rescue and rehoming centres and charity shops due to the lockdown rules, Margaret Green have taken the decision to provide for those pets that cannot be looked after if their owners work for the NHS and cannot look after them if they are hospitalised.

Matt Devereux, on behalf of the board of trustees for the charity, said: "With a large number of empty boarding units available, the charity has offered assistance to temporarily board animals belonging to frontline NHS workers who become hospitalised by the virus and who are unable to call on family or friends to provide care for them.

"The charity is hoping that there will be no need for their offer to be taken up but wanted to offer such services free of charge to those in the frontline of this crisis.

"The offer is also being made available to serving police staff and frontline Dorset and BCP Council social services care workers."

The charity has had to postpone or cancel all of their early summer events and cancel commercial animal boarding due to coronavirus.

As a result of the closures, approximately 150 animals remain in care across the three centres in Dorset and Devon, being looked after by a combination of staff living on site and others who are still able to travel to work.

The charity has emphasised that the animals in their care are still being provide with the highest standard of care.

For the time being, the charity has had to stop all animal rehoming and are only accepting confirmed emergency welfare cases.

They, like many other charities, will lose out on any expected fundraising that would have been coming over the next few months and are appealing for donations to be given.

Margaret Green Animal Rescue was established in 1965 and rescues over 1200 animals each year.

The charity wishes to support animals and pet owners during this unprecedented time.