00:03This weekend saw the opening of a new refurbished RSPCA building in Medway.
00:08Once an animal rehoming centre, they say the need in the area is now in veterinary care.
00:14We have seen an increase in need for people that perhaps feel that they need to actually give up their
00:22animals due to a lack of income.
00:24Some rescues are just full up. With us helping with the costs, we can then keep those animals at home
00:33in loving homes with loving owners.
00:36And that is the best place for them.
00:38In Medway, over 99,000 people claimed at least one type of benefit from the Department for Work and Pensions.
00:46That's over one third of the total population of the area.
00:49And with the number of animals up for adoption also on the rise, the RSPCA say the need for affordable
00:56veterinary care is becoming harder to ignore.
00:59This veterinary clinic is the only one across the entire county that offers support to those with lower income or
01:06those on benefits.
01:07And at the heart of its operations is the local community.
01:11The community is part of Medway and this clinic. You can see it for the people that have turned up
01:15or the people around the area showing how we can all just work together.
01:20It's not about being competition with each other. It's just making sure that we can all provide the best for
01:24everyone as much as possible.
01:25The main funding and the main source that they get is actually from the community, from the fundraising that they
01:30do.
01:31So even today at the grand opening, they're still selling cakes and having a tombola.
01:36So it's all about raising as much money as possible and that can only be done through the help of
01:40the public.
01:41Local residents, the police and even current users of this branch's services showed up to the opening, showing their support
01:48to a service that, in turn, supports them.
01:51They've done a good job. They always have done. And opening up like what they have now for new facilities
01:59and that is going to be a godsend.
02:00Being an old age pensioner, it comes up at the cost of it. I've already lost one cat.
02:08There is another private vet, but it's expensive.
02:13And during the opening event itself, one local resident popped by asking if Vets could see their dog who is
02:20in pain.
02:20I thought this is the perfect place to come, literally across the road.
02:23So we've just popped over, seen some fantastic nurses and they've managed to take the pain away.
02:29It's more than people that are just across the road and it definitely is a place for the community.
02:33And with demand already at the door, this new centre could be exactly what the vet ordered.
02:39Naila Mohamed for KMTV in Wilderslaid.
