A pet rehoming centre may be closed for refurbishment, but pets like Reggie the rat are still finding loving new homes through the charity’s Home Direct scheme.

The Blue Cross in Kimpton has been rehoming hundreds of homeless and abandoned pets every year since the 1940s.

The charity has ramped up its Home Direct service - where pets go directly from their old home to their new one, without the need for shelter - until the centre reopens in September next year.

Pets are assessed in the same way they would be if brought into the rehoming centre, so they are able to be matched with their perfect home.

Reggie the rat has been rehomed using Home Direct. He went straight from his old home, where his companion rat had passed away leaving Reggie very lonely, into his new home with Kirsty Reeder and her five female rats.

Billie Craig, operations supervisor at Blue Cross Herts, said: "Reggie is such a sweetheart. We're so glad we're able to help pets like him find their perfect homes, even when our rehoming centre is shut.

"Home Direct is a wonderful service and we have the whole team dedicated to helping even more pets of all shapes and sizes; cats, dogs, rabbits and smaller."

Kirsty said: "Reggie is settling in well and seems to be enjoying the company of his new girlfriends!

"The Home Direct scheme is great as it allows pets to stay in their home environment while they're up for adoption - which in Reggie's case definitely saved him a lot of stress. I was also given the opportunity to chat with Reggie's previous owner, which helped me to learn more about him."

The Blue Cross rehoming centre is being refurbished to bring the kennels and buildings up to modern welfare standards.

Billie said: "The rebuild of the centre is a chance for us to really make a difference to local pets - all money raised throughout the rebuild will go towards helping us do that.

"We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us so far. We couldn't do what we do without the help of our community."

For more about the Blue Cross, call 0300 777 1490, email hertfordshire@bluecross.org.uk or visit bluecross.org.uk.

For more about the rebuild and to help towards the appeal, visit bluecross.org.uk/hertsappeal