Damage worth thousands of pounds after pipes burst at RSPCA in York

The RSPCA York, Harrogate and District Branch, in Landing Lane in York, has launched an appeal for help after sub-zero temperatures caused water pipes to burst and damage the centre's former cattery.

Staff member Hannah visited the old cattery, which the charity has been using for storage, on Monday (December 19), to sort through donations and send them out to RSPCA charity shops to sell in the run up to Christmas.

But, when she opened the doors, Hannah was greeted by a cascade of water.

Peter Gorbert, branch manager at the RSPCA in York, said: "Due to the sub zero temperatures over the last few days the pipes had frozen and burst.

"Water was pouring freely from every inch of the ceiling, down onto the donations below.

The RSPCA staff member was greeted with water on the floor in the old cattery (Image: RSPCA York)

"Sadly, by the time the leak was found the water had soaked into everything, destroying thousands of pounds worth of donated shop items and along with personal protective equipment (PPE), hay and small animal bedding."

Team members at the home did their best to salvage what they could, but most of it was now only suitable for the skip.

"This is a double whammy as we now have to pay to dispose of the damaged items," Peter added.

The team was able to track down a plumber who isolated the building so the charity could get the water back on for the animal home. But they are not sure what will happen with the building itself, as the water damage is significant.

The staff said the internal fixtures and fittings will need to be completely replaced if the building is to be used again. It also leaves them with nowhere to store any of the donations that come into the home - and while the old cattery wasn't ideal, it was the best option they had.

Some of the items damaged during the incident at the RSPCA Animal Home in York (Image: RSPCA York)

Peter said: "This couldn't have come at a worse time, with the cost of everything at the animal home set to increase significantly next year.

"We are still waiting to see what the cost of putting this right will be, but we are asking for any donations to help us cover these unexpected costs.

"Were hopeful that some of the damaged stock will be covered by our insurance, but this leaves us with the cost of disposing of the damaged stock and three shops now very low on donations during the run up to Christmas, one of our biggest shopping periods."

The team urgently need donations to restock their shops. If you have any good quality items, they can be delivered to RSPCA shops in Goodramgate, Acomb or Selby.

The centre has also launched a JustGiving page to help with the cost of the damage, which can be found at: https://bit.ly/3WesbfF