Sky's the limit for Telford animal rescue service

Registered operator Anis Byron has been a lifelong animal foster carer.

Now, at the age of 21, she is officially launching Limitless Rescue in Telford with the aim of providing safe havens for domestic pets and wildlife that may need looking after.

The newly-expanded service is now promoting its activities online.

It has already proved popular and is attracting between five and 10 calls a day from a variety of anxious pet owners.

She is personally looking after a mouse, five kittens, three cats, and two rabbits at her home in Sutton Hill.

Others have been placed in the care of 12 other fostering sites, and Anis has already arranged plenty of capacity for new arrivals with another 11 carers lined up and awaiting pets.

The former Madeley Academy pupil said rescuing animals is something that has been part of her life since she was a child.

She said: “We have about 16 animals at the moment. We have rehomed 20 animals since we launched on November 1. I managed to get a team together in August and rehomed a German shepherd.

“I’ve been involved in animal rescuing since I was a child. My dad Dave is well known in the area for his wildlife rescue work.”

Anis said that setting up the rescue group had been a logical progression given that she was already helping to look after pets in need of homes.

Donations

She said: “A lot of people knew I’d been taking in pets and were contacting me in any case. I’ve decided to extend what we’ve been doing by taking in domestic pets and and wildlife that need help.”

Miss Byron, who suffers from absence epilepsy, explains: “Due to my health condition I have always struggled, so I’ve decided to throw myself full time into Limitless from now on.

“It’s taking up all my time now. “

Anis said that the organisation is mostly managing through donations from the public.

She said: “We get by due to the donations of food, supplies and cages.”

Ayone wishing to help can donate at Haygate Veterinary Centre branches in Wellington, Oakengates, Tweedale, Lawley and Muxton. People interested in finding out more about Limitless Rescue can contact Anis on 07305 429434.

The scale of the issue of animals needing help or new homes has been shown in recent days with the RSPCA releasing shocking figures on the number of calls it received over the festive period.

The charity said that it had received more than 10,000 calls over Christmas week about animals in distress. More than 70 calls every hour were reported to the charity, with a total of 11,888 calls made from Monday, December 23 to Sunday, December 29.

There were 1,255 cats and 1,790 dogs reported to the RSPCA’s emergency hotline, along with 613 equines and 1,301 wild birds and mammals. The charity said its vets, vet nurses, animal care assistants and volunteers were busy looking after the thousands of animals in hospitals, animal centres, and wildlife centres across the country.

While inspectors, animal welfare officers and animal collection officers were also out rescuing animals who had been abandoned, freeing those who found themselves trapped and in need of a helping hand, or collecting those who needed veterinary treatment or a warm bed.