Cost of living: New Rushden RSPCA pet health clinic opens

An animal charity said rescue centres were at "breaking point more than ever" as it opened a new facility to help struggling pet owners.

RSPCA Northamptonshire's new animal welfare clinic in Rushden offers low-cost microchipping and a number of free services, including dental checks and nail clipping.

Pet owners told the BBC there was "definitely a need for it".

The RSPCA said reports about animal abandonments had gone up by 13%.

It said it received 1,822 reports about abandonments in May, up from 1,609 for the same month last year.

Welfare operations manager Dawn Smith said people were struggling due to the rising cost of living.

She said: "We found we were getting a lot more people not able to afford vet bills, consultations, neutering, dentistry, even sadly putting animals to sleep.

"So a lot of the work we want to do here is getting people prepared, making sure they're understanding what the vet bills will cost them.

"Pet insurance is vital, neutering is essential, and hopefully they can plan ahead and it won't be in that emergency when they're feeling emotional anyway."

She added: "We just want to help pet owners and their pets.

"The rescues are full, we are at breaking point more than ever."

The clinic, which opened on Monday, runs twice a week, currently on Mondays and Wednesdays.

It offers microchipping for £5 for dogs, cats and rabbits, along with free nail clipping, dental checks and weight checks, plus advice on vaccinations, neutering, flea and worm treatments.

People can also get free advice regarding older pets, rehoming and end-of-life care.

The clinic also hopes to help local people comply with a forthcoming change in legislation regarding the mandatory microchipping of cats. 

Kerry Skinner, who attended the centre for a health check on her dog, said the clinic was a "good idea".

Michelle Smith-Whelan, who got her kitten microchipped, said: "I can't always afford the price of normal vets, it's a really good idea.

"Once word is out, they will do well. There's definitely a need for it. It should help a lot of people out."

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