A TENTH anniversary fundraising event at an East Yorkshire cats sanctuary has been cancelled after a fire tore through its buildings.

Firefighters rescued numerous cats in the blaze at the Caring For Cats homing centre, in York Road, Market Weighton, but the charity has issued an appeal for homes for the animals.

Volunteers said the fire had also forced it to call off the major fundraising opportunity, planned for Sunday, leaving the charity short of funds for the coming year.

Janet Black, a volunteer at the centre, said the alarm was raised at 3am last Wednesday by a farmer who saw flames coming from the building and alerted North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service.

She said: “Some straw, which was an integral part of the building, had caught fire.

“The building housed 15 cats and a lot of kittens. Luckily, there was an office between the pens where the cats were, and the fire. The flames were moving along the building, so the cats were very lucky.”

Mrs Black said the blaze destroyed equipment, such as microwaves and a fridge, as well as outdoor equipment, tables and chairs, making it impossible to stage the fundraising open day.

“It’s our biggest event of the year,” she said. “It would have made us about £1,600. We have lots of kittens too and a lot of them would have found homes on Sunday. So we desperately need homes for them now.

“We rely totally on donations. It has jeopardised the number of cats and kittens we will be able to home this coming year.”

The centre is now hoping kind-hearted residents and local businesses will donate badly-needed cash and new equipment, as well as prizes for raffles, to help the centre get back on its feet.

“What we need is donations,” said Mrs Black. “If people have any patio furniture they don’t want or anything which might assist us in raising some money such as raffle prizes, it would be a big help.”

If you can help Caring For Cats, phone 01430 872612, visit caring4cats.org or their headquarters at The Stables.