28/05/2026
At Pippas Army Animal Rescue, our volunteers dedicate their time, compassion, and energy to helping vulnerable animals in need. They work tirelessly in often difficult and emotional situations and deserve to be treated with kindness and respect at all times.
Last night, some of our volunteers attended a park following reports of kittens in the area. Our team remained on site to check for any additional kittens and attempt to locate and safely secure mum following reports she was still nearby.
During this, our volunteers were shouted at aggressively by a member of the public and due to this interference, mum cat was unnecessarily distressed and put at risk, which in turn further risks the welfare of her kittens. Our volunteers equipped to handle situations like this safely and with as little stress to the animals as possible. We carry specialist equipment designed to safely retrieve frightened cats whilst minimising distress and reducing the risk of injury to both the animals and our volunteers. Unfortunately, due to the interference faced on this occasion, we were unable to carry this out appropriately.
One of our volunteers also sustained injuries during the incident and received no apology.
We are also aware photographs were taken of our volunteers. If members of the public wish to verify the identity of somebody attending on behalf of the rescue, you are fully entitled to ask to see our registered charity ID badges.
Pippas Army Animal Rescue has a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of verbal or physical abuse directed at our volunteers. Aggressive, threatening, intimidating, or abusive behaviour will not be accepted under any circumstances and may be reported to the relevant authorities where appropriate.
We understand emotions can run high in animal welfare situations, but abuse towards volunteers is never acceptable. Our team is there to help, and we ask that anyone interacting with the rescue does so respectfully and courteously.
Thank you to all of our incredible volunteers for everything you continue to do for the animals in our care.
Situations like this are upsetting and intimidating for the people who give up their own time to help vulnerable animals, and it serves as an important reminder that our volunteers deserve to be treated with patience and respect at all times.