AN animal rescue service in Basingstoke has helped a cat and her kittens after they were left inside a property in a “horrific state”.

Last week staff at Helping Dogs & Cats UK Rescue (HDCUK) were alerted, by residents in Basingstoke, to a mother cat and her kittens who urgently needed rescuing from an abandoned and derelict house.

The house had previously been involved in a fire and was severely damaged.

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With permission, from the police, Hayley Doyle, the assistant rescue manager, put her own welfare and safety aside to help the mum cat and her kittens escape the dire situation.

When she entered the property there was clear evidence of hoarding.

The property was in a “horrific state” with filthy cat boxes and litter piled floor to ceiling high.

On top of this, the smell was “awful” and there was “visible evidence of dead animals” in cages and on the floors, which had been left in the house.

Basingstoke Council, the RSPCA, and Cats Protection were all contacted and notified by the rescue service who requested help.

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After several days, multiple attempts, and the laying of humane traps, Hayley finally managed to rescue mum and her kittens now named Joleyn, Todd, Elijah and Gypsy.

All were in an appalling state and were quickly taken to Brunswick Vets who provided urgent medical care and treatment they so badly needed.

Joelyn and her kittens are now safe in foster care and will shortly be available for adoption.

HDCUK said they would like to thank those who notified them in the first instance that the animals needed rescuing and those who came out to lend a hand.

Helping Dogs & Cats UK Rescue are a non-profit UK animal rescue. They support the local community in Hampshire by rehoming and rehabilitating dog, cats, and other small animal’s by arranging shelter, transport, veterinary care, microchipping, spaying, and neutering. In addition to their work in the UK, they also help dogs and cats in Romania.

For more information and a list of the dogs and cats in their care looking to find forever homes, application forms and ways to get involved, visit: www.helpingdogsandcatsuk.org.

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