WITH the floodwater continuing to wreak havoc in Buckskin, one woman has turned her attention to pets on the estate.

Karen Tasker, of Chopin Road, Brighton Hill, Basingstoke, has taken seven cats and one dog from families affected by the flooding.

Most have gone on to temporary homes, while she has kept two cats.

The 39-year-old said that temporary accommodation offered by insurance companies to flooding victims often won’t accept family pets.

Miss Tasker, an office manager, likes to help to rehome cats in her spare time, so when families started to leave their homes, she began to receive phone calls.

She said: “I got quite a lot of calls, and messages on Facebook, about people who needed help to get their cats into rescue homes, and because I have a good relationship with the homes, I was contacted.

“The animals are doing OK and we make sure we give them a lot of attention. The owners of the pets have been around to check that they are OK, and all we ask is that they pay food and other bills.”

She said it could be months before flood victims can return to their homes, and with the floodwater still high, more families could be in need of her services.

She has teamed up with HappyCats Rescue, based in Bordon, to provide support for families, and is also working with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Sovereign Housing Association.

Miss Tasker said she needs people to come forward to offer their homes as temporary accommodation for affected pets, and wants flood victims to know that help is available.

To contact her, call 07799 300166, or call Jo Lucas, from HappyCats Rescue, on 07881 557648.