RSPCA clinics in London facing closure
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Last year, the RSPCA saw a staggering £5.7 million drop in legacy donations.
Due to lack of funds, the RSPCA is set to close the Putney Animal Hospital, made famous by the BBC programme Animal Hospital. The charity is also proposing to close three London clinics.
In a statement, the RSPCA said its trustees had made the "very difficult" proposal to close the hospital and clinics as part of an "overall restructure".
The charity says it has faced increased demands for its services in recent years, alongside fluctuating income - which it blames largely on the volatility of legacy donations.
Last year, the RSPCA revealed it had seen a staggering £5.7 million drop in legacy income, forcing it to cut jobs.
The proposal to close Putney hospital and the London clinics aims to streamline the charity's frontline services and target the animals most in need.
"Evidence-based work has been done on redirecting our services to the animals most in need of our help, those picked up and rescued by our inspectors.
"Most of the animals treated at Putney Animal Hospital have owners. The charity proposes to concentrate its work on those areas of London where it can have greater impact on those animals that do not have owners…
"It would be with great sadness that the RSPCA would lose the roles at Putney and the London clinics but we would hope to keep most of our dedicated and much-valued staff through the redeployment opportunities opening up at our other London sites."
The charity said most of the services offered by the hospital and clinics will be relocated to other parts of London.
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
