00:00 This is what you might describe as a full house.
00:05 At the moment we've got about 350 animals in our care.
00:09 That's twice the number of creatures the RSPCA generally cares for.
00:14 We're definitely at capacity.
00:16 We would simply not be able to house these animals all at the shelter.
00:21 Many are being taken home by volunteers.
00:23 And while kitten season is one reason for the influx, it's not the only one.
00:28 This time around we have a lot of additional babies, like this little one that I'm holding today.
00:34 We have baby guinea pigs, we have baby ferrets, we have baby galahs.
00:39 It's just babies everywhere.
00:41 Increased costs and irresponsible ownership, like not de-sexing pets, are also playing a part.
00:48 There's additional pressure for vets as many of the animals coming in require complex surgeries.
00:53 We don't often know the cause, but they're coming in with injuries, broken legs,
00:58 degloving injuries where they've got sort of soft tissue trauma.
01:02 And the shelter environment isn't ideal for keeping little ones healthy.
01:06 Just young animals, their immune systems aren't as strong.
01:09 New digs are on the way for the RSPCA in Pialago, but as that's still in pre-development stage,
01:15 it could be some time before the shelter gets a new home.
01:18 We also have a lot of really bad weather that is impacting our shelter operations.
01:25 Our shelter is not fit for purpose.
01:28 Even with a new shelter, it isn't the best place for puppies like these, who just want a forever home.
01:35 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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