A CHARITY shop in Tralee has asked the public not to drop items in which are in such poor condition that they have to be disposed of at great cost by the charity.

Maurice Enright of the Sera Husky and Animal Rescue Shop said broken items, damaged furniture and “rubbish” has been left by the door when they were closed and resulted in them having to hire two skips at the weekend, at a cost of €700, to dispose of the items.

The volunteers at the shop on Maine Street/Rock Street are also almost bullied into accepting items which are of no value to anyone. Some people also just run in, drop the bag of items and run out without giving volunteers a chance to look at the contents.

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He is asking people to be more aware and considerate, as this year already the charity has taken in over two dozen animals, including dogs, cats, donkeys, swans and a pheasant, and those animals need to be fed, medicated and in some cases need veterinary treatment.

It’s vital that they utilise the money from the charity shop sales for these expenses, rather than for the hiring of skips.

Mr Enright says it’s a small minority who dump this rubbish on charity shops, but they need to be vigilant in assessing what is brought in, so they asking people to please not be offended if they ask about the condition of the items being donated.

They are looking for quality clothing, furniture, bric a brac, etc. They do not take duvets or pillows for the animals as they are unhygienic and they are torn apart, but decent blankets are accepted. Toys are also not accepted. They also ask that you send photos of furniture and other items to their facebook page (click here) before bringing them down to the shop.