Animal welfare charity expands with new site

A South Yorkshire animal welfare charity is expanding its rescue and rehabilitation services with a new site that will support more animals, create jobs and improve access to veterinary care for pet owners across the region.

Rain Rescue has purchased an 18-acre site near Doncaster, enabling the charity to significantly increase its capacity and broaden the range of animals it supports. 

The charity, which has operated from its Rotherham base since 2002, currently focuses on rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming cats and dogs. 

Officials say the new site will allow it to extend that work to horses and donkeys while developing additional services for adopters and pet owners.

Opening with a veterinary facility, café and shop this July, the site forms the first phase of a wider five-year development plan. 

Revenue generated by the café and shop will help fund future investment, including a dedicated veterinary and behavioural centre, subject to planning approval.

Rain Rescue also plans to expand its community support offer, helping pet owners access advice and veterinary treatment earlier to prevent issues from escalating. 

The charity already provides low-cost preventative healthcare for animals adopted through its existing service.

Rain Rescue expects the expansion to create ten jobs, with five roles recruited initially and a further five added as development progresses, while also increasing its volunteer network across South Yorkshire by 50 per cent.

Serving communities from Leeds and Scunthorpe to Sheffield, the new facility will help meet growing demand for animal welfare support at a time when pet abandonment remains a significant challenge across the UK.

Patricia Spargo, chief executive at Rain Rescue, said: “We've moved beyond using the word ‘crisis’ in animal welfare, it’s now our new ‘normal’. 

“Every charity has waiting lists and it’s often one animal in, one out. 

“This new site gives us the space to do something different, not just rescue and rehome more animals, but prevent them reaching a critical point in the first place.  

“By offering things like subsidised vet care, behavioural support and practical help during tough times, we can keep pets with the families who love them and free up space for animals with nowhere else to go.”

The move has been backed by a six-figure loan from Lloyds.

Kate Darbyshire, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank, added: “Rain Rescue is a well-established Yorkshire charity with a clear plan to expand its operations and reach more people across the region. 

“We’re pleased to support Patricia and the team with funding to secure their new Doncaster site, which will help them grow their facilities, create new roles and build their volunteer network over the coming years. 

“Projects like this show the range of organisations we can support across Yorkshire, from commercial businesses to charities, helping them invest for the future and strengthen the communities they serve. 

“We look forward to seeing the new centre open this summer and to supporting Rain Rescue as the next phase of its plans progress.” 

Patricia added: “Working with Lloyds has been a breath of fresh air. 

“Kate has been there every step of the way, which made a complex property purchase much more manageable. 

“They’ve been genuinely invested in what we’re trying to achieve, not just as a transaction but as a charity trying to make lasting change.”

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