A RETAILER'S charitable foundation is supporting a Cross Roads-based cat rescue.

The Pets at Home Foundation has awarded more than £16,000 to Yorkshire Cat Rescue, to help with its running costs.

Sara Atkinson, the charity's founder, says the grant has been "a lifesaver" for the organisation.

She added: "The Pets at Home charitable fund is one of the few foundations that provides funding for the day-to-day running costs of our organisation, giving us the reassurance that we’ll be able to support cats that come to us needing more complex care."

Yorkshire Cat Rescue works to save the lives of abandoned or unwanted cats and kittens across the region.

Animals are cared for at the charity's Cross Roads centre and by fosterers throughout the county.

The organisation has seen an increase in cats coming to it in need of complex care, due to delays in treatment during the pandemic and owners struggling with costs.

The Pets at Home Foundation cash has covered the cost of vets' bills and enabled the charity to treat complicated cases – including two cats that were discovered to have cleft palates and a litter suffering from feline panleukopenia, a viral disease that can be fatal in kittens.

Yorkshire Cat Rescue has also been able to provide specialist radiation treatment for older cats suffering from a form of hypothyroidism.

The Pets at Home Foundation said it was delighted to be able to support the charity.

And it thanks customers at its stores, including the outlet at Keighley Retail Park in Hard Ings Road, whose donations help fund the grants.

Amy Angus, charity and community manager at the Pets at Home Foundation, says: "The team at Yorkshire Cat Rescue does a phenomenal job in caring for cats across the region, and we know the support the charity provides is more important than ever in the current climate.

"We are so pleased to be able to continue to help charities like these, which are working tirelessly to look after those pets that find themselves without a family for whatever reason that might be.

"A huge 'thank you' goes to Pets at Home customers and all those who have made generous donations, allowing us to keep providing essential funds to these amazing organisations."

For further information about the Pets at Home Foundation, visit petsathomefoundation.co.uk.

More details about Yorkshire Cat Rescue and ways of supporting it can be found at yorkshirecatrescue.org.