RSPCA Preston and District

A Preston animal shelter temporarily shut its doors after concerns that it was not meeting the high standards of its wider organisation.

RSPCA Preston and District, located at Longridge Road, was closed on 6 December as it stopped taking any new animals in.

The Preston branch said in a statement that animals already being cared for at the shelter were to be transferred to nearby shelters, such as Liverpool, Southport and Blackpool centres.

Read more: Pensioners receive free meal on Christmas Day in Preston

Blog Preston asked the RSPCA for an update on when the centre was due to reopen and was advised they were still issuing the following response:

“RSPCA Preston & District Branch animal centre is not taking in any animals at the moment and will be temporarily closed to the public from Wednesday to address concerns that the operation of the centre was not meeting the normal high standards we would expect.

“All of the animals at the site – which includes dogs, cats and rabbits – are being transferred to other RSPCA facilities in the short term.

“The branch, supported by national society staff, is working to reopen the centre in the near future.”

No timescale has yet been given for the reopening of the centre, despite Christmas being the busiest time for animal rescue shelters.

The closure has impacted on nearby RSPCA shelters who have had to take in more animals as a result.

A spokesperson for Blackpool RSPCA said: “The Preston closure has definitely impacted on other nearby shelters, especially with it being this time of year.

“We have taken on some animals from Preston but we still need to prioritise the Blackpool animals.

“We are now completely full here at Blackpool.”

What do you think about the Preston RSPCA closure? Have you been to the shelter before? Let us know in the comments below