A woman who has cared for sick hedgehogs for the last 18 months is making a plea for help to continue after getting over run with little ones who need help.
Since last year she has taken in 105 hedgehogs and currently has 27 in her care.
But it costs around £300 a month to continue and as a self-funded rescue she said she has reached a point where she now needs a little extra help.
She also wants to find a local vet who can carry out hedgehog amputations for those with broken limbs as at the moment she has to take them to Leicester.
Suzanne Lyons, of Walpole St Peter, said: “I’m desperate for volunteers. It would be perfect for somebody who is retired and has some extra time on their hands.
“They’d need to be happy to help clean out and care for the hedgehogs. I also need some help with fund raising.”
Donations of tinned meat based cat or dog food in jelly would also be appreciated as well as people signing up to Easy Fund raising, an online page which means, every time you shop online you get the chance to donate to her hedgehog rescue - and it won’t cost you a penny.
She said: “There are a lot of small hedgehogs around that will not survive the winter hibernation – the best way to guage the size of the hedgehog is if it looks about the size of a galia melon in theory it should be okay to be left and assist feed.
“Anything smaller than 450g needs to come into a rescue for overwintering regardless if its seen during the day or night now the temperatures are in the single figures.
“The main problems hedgehogs are coming in the rescue with lungworm at the moment which is a big killer for these guys mainly caused by eating slugs snails and earthworms.
“A lot of people are afraid to pick up a hedgehog as they have fleas. These are host dependant fleas and will not live on you or your pets.
“If you find a hedgehog that needs rescuing please put it in a high sided box and bring indoors and put in a warm and quiet place and call your nearest hedgehog rescue for advice.
“Most hedgehogs found out during the day need to be in a rescue the same day to give them the best chance.”
Currently Suzanne helps raise money with her sewing skills and up-cycles old clothes into new items like bags.
• If anybody can help contact Suzanne Hedgehog Rescue on suzanne970@yahoo.co.uk.
• Visit her Facebook page which lists details of how to donate.
• or call and leave a mesage or email …….
• There is an amazon wish list under the same name as the rescue for items like syringes, needles, cages.
• Desperately needed are meat based cat/dog food wet and dry in jelly, dust extracted hay, puppy pads, newspapers.
• Volunteer collectors of food, papers etc.
• Volunteer fundraisers.
• Volunteers to help with cleaning out of cages.
• If anybody can help contact Suzanne Hedgehog Rescue on suzanne970@yahoo.co.uk.
• To help for free register with Easy Fund Raising
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