Watch: We meet abandoned kittens, Harry, Ron, & Hermione dumped in a Harry Potter bag in Birmingham

Animal welfare is close to our hearts and BirminghamWorld tries to help charities like RSPCA, Bluecross, Birmingham Dogs Home and others get the word out about pets for adoption.

So, we visited RSPCA Newbrook Farm’s Animal Centre in Frankley Green to have a look around. Set in a 72 acre farm in the green suburb of Frankley Green in Frankley - it’s so quiet that you can hear your thoughts pass by.

It’s a peaceful and beautiful spot - with open fields everywhere you see. Frankley is starkly different from the built-up areas like Halesowen just a couple of miles away and even my Uber driver was surprised that we were still in Birmingham.

Once we reached, it was a short walk to the main entrance - which is easy to miss as it’s a small lane between shrubs. The reception area is inviting and several people brought in their pets during the duration of our visit as they also have a hospital on the premises.

Animal Centre Manager Debbie said that the Newbrook Farm moved to Frankley Green from Barnes Hill - which has been replaced by an ASDA store - and they now have a much larger and open space - which is great for the animals.

Apart from 80 cubicles in the cattery - including 20 isolation units, they have an animal hospital, education centre, a sensory garden for dogs, a dog kennel, cages for small furries, and wide open fields to walk the dogs in.

And, if you ask, why adopt? There are several reasons but one of the important reasons would be that you are giving an animal that was abandoned or neglected a second chance.

Recently, three young kittens were abandoned beside a road in a plastic bag in Handsworth, Birmingham.

The young black and white cats, who were just a few weeks old, were found by a member of the public in a carrier bag with the words ‘Platform 9 and ¾’ across the front and back.

TheRSPCAwas contacted at around 5pm on May 22 following the discovery of the bag containing the kittens, which had been left beside Somerset Road in Handsworth, Birmingham. The cats have been named Harry, Ron and Hermione after Harry Potter characters.

RSPCA Inspector Jonny Wood told us: “Thankfully these little guys were found and have been given the care and attention they deserve but we’re pleading with people not to dump their pets. It is never the answer.

“We appreciate the financial difficulties some people are experiencing right now, however abandoning your pet, or not seeking appropriate veterinary help if it’s needed, is never acceptable. There is help and support available and we would urge people to contact their vets, local rescues and animal welfare charities.”

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were taken into the care of the team atRSPCA Coventry & District Branchwho transformed an isolation unit in the cattery into Mowarts for the three Hufflefluffs. The kittens will be found new homes once they are ready for adoption.

The abandonment of the three kittens comes as figures show that the charity received 1,822 reports to its emergency helpline about an animal being abandoned in May alone. That compares with 1,609 abandonments for the same month last year - marking a rise of 13%.

Charities like RSPCA need all the help they can. So, if you are wondering how to help them - there are more ways than volunteering and donations - though those are always welcome.

One of the fun ways to participate would be visiting their annual One Fun Day on Saturday (June 17) at RSPCA Birmingham Newbrook farm.

At theRSPCA Birmingham Animal Centre there will be lots of fun events taking place including; a mini dog show, children’s activities, craft stalls, a tombola, raffle and refreshments.

It will run from 11am until 3pm and will be at the Newbrook Farmhouse Education Centre in Frankley Green, Frankley, Birmingham.

A spokesperson for the centre said: “We are really excited to be hosting our One Fun Day event at Birmingham and we hope that our supporters, their families and animal lovers will come along on the day.

“Events like these are vital fundraising events for our centre and help to raise money which will be used directly to help animals we care for. We hope that animal lovers will be able to join us on the day and we really look forward to seeing everyone - it promises to be a great day and you will be doing your bit to help animals in need.”

Advice for owners struggling with cost of living crisis

There is more help and advice for animal-owners struggling during the cost of living crisis on the RSPCA website here.

Anyone who has information about the kittens and where they have come from is urged to contact the RSPCA’s appeal line on 0300 123 8018.

The RSPCA Coventry and District Branch is fundraising to pay for the care of the kittens and encouraging people to donate through the webpage here. It costs the branch, which is a separately registered and independently funded charity, more than £40,000 a month to keep the animal centre open with thousands of pounds also spent on vet bills to treat the rescue animals.