But lately there has been a surge in the numbers as people make the heartbreaking decision to give up their animal companions, no longer able to afford to care for their pets.
“They come to us because they feel they have no choice,“ she said.
The small centre has taken in more than 130 animals this year alone. It is part of a wider rise across the UK, where tens of thousands of pets have been abandoned since the Covid-19 pandemic and the onset of a cost-of-living crisis.
Last year saw around 22,500 cases reported in total, up more than seven percent on 2023.
And it has hit the country's poorest especially hard. Staff at Mayhew said some owners were having to choose between feeding themselves or their pets.
Stories like these are “the most upsetting”, Meucci-Lyons said, because in hard times pet owners “need their lovely animals more than ever and the dog or cat doesn’t want to do without their owner.”
Mayhew staff said more pets were also arriving at the centre in Kensal Green in poor health, often because their owners cannot afford veterinary bills.
“We’re seeing quite a lot more needing dental work nowadays,“ said Mayhew spokeswoman Olivia Patt.
Some people are returning lockdown pets, several years on. But RSPCA spokesman David Bowles told AFP that living costs, which soared during the pandemic, have become a major factor driving abandonments.
UK inflation soared above 11 percent in October 2022, the highest level in more than four decades, and while it has slowed in the last few years, people are still feeling the squeeze.
At Mayhew, staff have been doing all they can, from providing struggling owners with pet food and animal care packages, to offering free preventative treatments.
“We are run off our feet, we can’t keep up with the demand,“ said Meucci-Lyons.
Even though the staff are comforted by knowing they make a difference, “every day it is heartbreaking -- we go to bed at night thinking about the dogs and cats we can’t help,“ she said.
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