Scottish SPCA want Falkirk pet lovers to know they have had some weird donations, no fooling

Underwear, odd shoes, a video tape of Princess Diana’s funeral, curtains, crates of fake flowers, 250 raw sausages and 200 Brussels sprouts are just some of the gifts people have handed in to the animal welfare charity, which is always thankful for donations – no matter how weird they are.

However, it is looking to highlight the serious point some of the donations are potentially hazardous.

Graeme Innes, deputy head of field operations, said: “Of course we are always incredibly thankful for donations people can spare and we wouldn’t want anyone to think we are ungrateful.

“While we do get lots of funny donations clearly been given to us with the best of intentions, we have also received some items that pose a serious health hazard. Our centres have received open bags of food containing maggots and cigarette ends, which is why we can’t accept any food that is already open.

“We’ve also received cat litter trays full of faeces and pet beds covered in pet hair. People often donate duvets and pillows not realising that we can’t use them as bedding as they’re too easy for animals to rip up and possibly harm themselves by ingesting or becoming tangled in them.

“We don’t want to put anyone off donating to our centres but we would just ask that they take a quick look at our website beforehand to check which items we can and can’t accept.

“If the item they want to donate is not on the list, or is large or something unusual we’d ask them just to give their nearest centre a call first to make sure they can accept it.

“We are so grateful, especially in these difficult times, that people think of us and want to help.”

Anyone wishing to donate items to one of the Scottish SPCA’s animal rescue and rehoming centres can check which items they can accept here by visiting www.scottishspca.org or calling 03000 999 999 for more information.