Ben Madilynn
She added: “There was a big boom in people who took on pets in Covid and then couldn’t look after them anymore, so I think it’s been the backlash from that.
“Animals are simply too readily available for people to take on and, when it doesn’t work out, there is nowhere else for them to go but a rescue centre.”
The RSPCA Cornwall Branch has been funded entirely by local donations and can hold 120 animals.
CEO Emily Bowen said national RSPCA facilities could sometimes help by acting as an overflow centre.
She said: “We have the information sent through on animals that are in private boarding in the South West and we will take them in as soon as we have a space.
“We are juggling that with animals that come in from our public waiting list, which can be genuine emergencies, and animals we need to take in straight away.”
