THE profound impact of the coronavirus pandemic goes beyond the world's human population, says a popular north Cumbrian charity.

Staff from Oak Tree Animals' Charity at Wetheral Shields were called out by a landlord whose tenant had phoned to say that he'd boarded a plane to Europe to be with family during the Covid-19 crisis. But there was a complication: he'd left his cat with her kittens in his rented property.

When an Oak Tree team, arrived they found the cat and her kittens, just over two weeks old. The owner had left food and water. Back at Oak Tree Farm, a vet confirmed they were all healthy. Foster carers are now looking after the feline family.

Once old enough, and after the current Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, they will be rehomed. The charity's general manager Caroline Johnson said: “Oak Tree’s services are never more needed by our community than in these times of difficulty."

She urged anybody experiencing difficulties with their pets to contact Oak Tree for advice and support and to fully consider the effect of their decisions on their pets.

She added: "In this case, the landlord quickly contacted our team, ensuring this feline family were safe and remained healthy; however, this could have had a truly horrific outcome. Due to the generosity of our supporters, our team were here to respond and ensure this tale will have a happy ending.”

“Charities like Oak Tree are seeing increased demand for our help while our funding sources get ever smaller as our charity shops and tearoom have had to close and fundraising events have had to be cancelled, but our outgoings remain. We would really like to thank our amazing community for getting behind us and donating to help ensure we are able to continue to help the animals in our region.”

Find out more at www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk.