Cornwall woman transforms her home into animal shelter to help struggling pet owners

A woman from Cornwall has transformed her home into an animal shelter for pets whose owners have been forced to give them up because of the rising cost of living.

Nicola Congdon's Penryn house is full of pets that have been passed on to her, including rabbits, cats, dogs and snakes and spiders.

Her front room is also full of pet food which she donates to local pet owners struggling to buy it themselves.

"It's not just about helping pets, it's about helping their owners," she said. "We try and keep the animal with the owner as much as possible.

"And it's not just pet food, it's leads, collars, harnesses, beds, coats - anything pet related. We've came across dogs and cats that have never had a toy.

"Recently, there was a dog who only had a piece of string as a collar. We were able to give him a brand new lead, collar and harness set."

Nicola's front room in her house is full to the brim with pet merchandise, so those who can't afford shop prices items can receive the items for free.

For those who can afford it, Nicola offers the essential pet items for half the retail price, so that the money earned from these sales can go back into helping those less fortunate.

Nicola's house is bursting at the seams with animals, including rabbits, guinea pigs, three cats, a dog, six fish tanks, snakes, spiders and a tortoise.

On top of providing food parcels and essential items, Nicola also offers 'animal assisted interventions', where she visits care homes, schools, vulnerable people in the community and more with her animals for pet therapy.

She is now crowdfunding for a community hub where she can offer support to pet owners in a local space, as, she says, the number of people needing her support has significantly increased.