Vivi Hulse is running a self-funded food bank for cats and dogs, but also helping to find homes for much smaller pets

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YOU may avoid rats in the streets of Islington, but one Highbury resident is welcoming rodents into her home.

Vivi Hulse set up a self-funded pet food bank, supplying food for cats and dogs, while also rescuing rodents.

She told the Tribune this week: “I’m from north Germany and growing up my parents rescued animals, and we always had many rescue rodents and rescue dogs. So, when I moved to the UK, I started rescuing rodents myself.

“People sometimes contact me because they need help with a cat or a dog. I can’t take them in, but I know of other rescuers who can. Just from that, I started feeding pets. I bought a lot of dry food, so cat kibble and dog kibble just to start off. I printed out some flyers – and a very nice woman helped me by handing them out at community centres and libraries.

“We only supply cat and dog food. We initially tried to address it to elderly clients but most of our clients are people in their 40s and 50s who realise they are low on food and panic because they don’t have enough money. Our regular clients usually pick up the goodie bags, but if somebody is elderly, has mobility issues or just had a surgery, we just drop it off.”

Ms Hulse guarantees dry food, but tries her best to include some wet food too. She buys in bulk from Amazon and divides it into bags which include food and also collars, de-worming and flea treatments, or leashes and bedding.

Being mainly self-funded, she requires help from others. She said: “I can do more if people help me. Those who donate are mainly in Islington, some in Haringey. Quite a lot of young people in their early 20s donate and people who are struggling. I think it’s honourable that people who are not too well off still make an effort.

“People were very generous just after Christmas. I got a lot of donations on our Amazon wish list as well. I was speechless. One time I went downstairs and there were six parcels, big ones. So people have started helping quite a lot. But again, it would be nice if there was more help, because it helps us a lot with the rodent rescue. We have very high vet bills.”

Ms Hulse and her partner work around the clock taking care of rescue rodents, alternating between rescue trips and vet visits. The small community of rescuers look out for each other, passing on information about animals others might be more well suited to take care of.

“I have a friend who runs Mimi’s Rodent Rescue, so she actually homes rodents. When she has a chronically ill rodent I go get it,” she said. “For example, there’s a hamster, whose teeth grow too fast, so the hamster always needs its teeth clipped. I took the hamster because they’re not really re-homeable. Nobody wants a hamster that needs the vet once a month.”

According to Battersea Dogs and Cats home it typically costs £2,000 per year to take care of a cat or dog, and for many people in the current cost of living crisis it is a cost that takes a toll on their ability to take care of their pet.

Hulse said: “I’ve noticed that in the past five or six months a lot more people ask me for help. I had an elderly lady call me. She’d seen one of the flyers in the community centre. She was crying and she said she can’t feed her cat and she felt embarrassed.

“Things happen, especially when you’re elderly. It’s not much of a choice that you haven’t got any money. It’s not like you can work a
12-hour shift every day.

“I think it’s very difficult for a lot of people, and I’m very disappointed that the government does not provide for people that worked all their lives and now they live in poverty.”

Vivi Hulse’s Pet Rescue is open for donations. You can buy items from the wishlist: www.amazon.co.uk/registries/gl/guest-view/2QLBFVE554TA6