The Gore and Districts SPCA is once again facing an uncertain future.
The branch's manager, Kathy Ashbridge, was forced to resign because of ill health which has left the 20 volunteers running the shelter, volunteer Peter Ashbridge said.
Mr Ashbridge had been helping his wife Kathy run the shelter for the past six years, he said.
Mrs Ashbridge was in hospital awaiting surgery and could not carry on with the voluntary position, Mr Ashbridge said.
A volunteer roster had been drawn up for the next two weeks, but the future of the shelter after that was uncertain, he said.
RNZSPCA national councillor Phil Soper said the organisation's chief executive Robyn Kippenberger was scheduled to visit Gore on Friday and she would be talking to volunteers about the future of the shelter.
She was expected to meet Gore District Mayor Tracy Hicks.
It was hoped to appoint a part-time paid manager for the branch, Mr Soper said.
Funding would be sought for wages for the manager's position and for dayto-day running expenses, he said.
Mr Soper said the Gore branch was administered by the national office because it did not have a committee and that had been the case for several years. The branch was almost at the point of closing about two years ago, he said.
‘‘There was just one person doing everything - we couldn't continue like that,'' Mr Soper said.
‘‘We're a community organisation and if we don't get support from the community to operate then you have to shut the doors,'' he said.
Mr Hicks said he was keen to meet Ms Kippenberger as he was concerned about the ongoing operation of the facility.
Mr Ashbridge said he and his wife had put in long hours at the shelter caring for cats and kittens.
‘‘Quite simply she [Mrs Ashbridge] had to pack it in for health reasons,'' Mr Ashbridge said.
While there were rewarding moments, including when cats and kittens were placed in new homes, there were some sad times as well.
‘‘To have to put a cat down you have raised from a kitten - it's very, very difficult,'' he said.
During the six years since the couple had been volunteering at the shelter it had tripled in size and the number of volunteers had increased.
At present the shelter had about 25 cats and kittens that were seeking new homes and volunteers were keen to find them homes in the light of the staffing difficulties, he said.
Mr Ashbridge said the voluntary manager's position was ideally suited to a semiretired couple so the workload could be shared.
‘‘That would be the ideal thing. That's what we've done - you can back each other up,'' he said.
Volunteer Averley Jackson said if the organisation could get another manager the organisation could resume its normal routine.
