Community campaigners have launched a call for an independent investigation into the financial decisions and circumstances surrounding the closure of the Donegal Animal Rehabilitation Centre.

The centre, owned by the ISPCA, was closed at short notice in September, leaving seven staff redundant and placing sudden pressure on local animal charities.

The ISPCA said that the decision to close Ballyare was due to a depletion of income.

This has led the founders of the centre to call for clarity on the funding review and for the Donegal asset to be returned to the community so it can be reopened.

The Donegal SPCA originally built the centre through legacy funds and fundraising, before handing it over to the ISPCA for opening in 2018.

The closure, they say, has worsened an already fragile situation for animal welfare in the north west.

Spokesperson Kathleen Murray said: "Local residents and voluntary groups are calling for an independent investigation into the centre's closure, its finances, and the handling of the asset."

A spokesperson for Animals in Need said that relying on voluntary groups to cover the entire county is unsustainable. "We have people ringing us saying they were told to bring a kitten to Longford. Nobody is going to do that. The issue is that we are full most of the time and there's nowhere else to turn."

Other voluntary groups report similar pressures. The Ballyare centre is capable of housing a wide range of animals, including wildlife such as seals and swans. The Donegal centre handled more wildlife and cats last year than several larger centres.

September also saw Donegal County Council pass a motion from Cllr Noel Jordan to write to the ISPCA seeking clarity on its plans for the centre, and to the Department of Agriculture to ask about the wider impact of the ISPCA's changes on pet rescue services.

As the county awaits a response, Kathleen says the community urges the ISPCA/NSPCA "to act transparently and to do the right and moral thing by ensuring the Centre and the legacy funds continue to benefit the animals of Donegal."