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Last year we had 135+ hedgehogs in our care from November- March.
We expect this year to be even busier. As we approach the cold weather, our admissions will sky rocket to up to 18 hedgehogs coming to us every single day. Last year we had 70 hedgehogs on medication at once which meant the process for administering meds took hours and hours.
Unfortunately, all of these hedgehogs needing our help comes at a huge cost, and this has been a hell of a year for all charities. Our English shops are closed, meaning we have no regular income from them at all. We cannot furlough our animal care staff, they are very much needed. Life must continue as normal for us so that we can help our spikey friends.
During this busy winter period, we will use...
An average two bottles of anti-biotics each week (£58 each)
Up to ten boxes of needles (£30 per week)
At least 100 syringes a day (£10 per day)
20 bin bags per day
50 rolls of kitchen roll each week
Our utility costs are higher as most hedgehogs will need incubators or heat mats on arrival, meaning our electricity bill will hugely increase. We also need to keep the centre toasty warm to prevent hedgehogs that are too tiny from hibernating. Our staff will work long hours, usually 12-14 hour shifts ensuring that every animal is given the best care possible.
Donations are really dwindling. We know that this is such a scary time for everyone, even if you can just spare £1 we would appreciate it so much right now.