COMMUNITY
WEST COAST REVIEW | 9
fi tness – and has just been
found a new home with a local
family.”
Gyp is one of hundreds of animals
that have been helped
by Argyll Animal Aid over the
past 27 years. The charity
was launched by a group of
local animal lovers who initially
looked after animals in need in
their own homes. It grew from
there, and last year re-homed
83 animals.
“Dogs and cats come to us
for all sorts of reasons,” explains
Jean. “A split in a relationship
can mean a pet has
to be found a new home.
Sometimes people move to
accommodation which won’t
take pets, and sick or elderly
people going into hospital or
care very often have to give
up a loved companion. This
is particularly sad for them
both.”
Whatever the reason for its arrival,
the team aim to fi nd the
right forever home as soon as
they can – while matching the
right person for the pet. While
sometimes this happens quite
quickly, on other occasions
animals can spend several
months at the Barcaldine site.
“We’d suggest that someone
who is looking for a pet gives
us a ring initially so we can
fi nd out a bit more about them
and see if we have any animal
that will be right for them,”
says Jean.
“There have been times when
we’ve had a number of 12-
and 13-year-old dogs, whose
owners have passed away.
These ‘golden oldies’ can
be diffi cult to re-home, but
sometimes they are just right
– perhaps for an older person
who has recently lost their
previous pet.”
Argyll Animal Aid aims to offer
a fostering service for animals
whose owners have to go into
hospital short term, if space is
available, and helps with the
costs of neutering and spaying
feral cats, so long as they
can be returned to the site
they came from.
Dealing with abandoned animals
inevitably brings some
sadness, as was the case with
a feral cat who was brought in
after rejecting her fi ve kittens.
Only two were alive when she
arrived. “We bottle-fed them
every hour for some weeks,”
says Jean, “but only one wee
one survived. We named him
Bramble, and he is now 10
months old and a healthy big
lad.”
Argyll Animal Aid is run by volunteers,
and funded entirely
from donations – and it needs
more of both to keep its service
running.
Volunteers play a critical role
in all aspects of the charity’s
work, whether helping with
care and feeding of cats and
dogs, fundraising (particularly
at the forthcoming Christmas
fair on November 17) or – one
of the most popular duties –
walking the dogs.
“We really need people who
can spare an hour or two on
a regular basis,” says Jean.
“We are in a lovely spot, and
caring for the cats, or taking
the dogs for a walk in the forest,
is time well spent.”
If you are interested in volunteering,
re-homing or fostering
a pet, please contact
Jean on 01631 566406 or go
to argyllanimalaid.org.uk.