In normal times, Llys Nini has a band of volunteers willing to help out in the daily running of the centre.
They contribution is hugely valued, enabling staff to carry out any number of tasks that are needed to keep the animal rescue facility running smoothly.
But these are clearly unusual days, and the coronavirus lock down means their welcome input has had to be temporarily suspended, leaving its staff to pick up the slack.
And that includes providing dogs at the centre in Pen llergaer with their daily walks, a task frequently assigned to volunteers.
Consequently, works at the RSPCA affiliated have been almost literally run off their feet, as they ensure its canine residents get their daily exercise.
And with the task falling to just a handful of employees, it means some of them are walking up to 30,000 steps a day - or approximately 15 miles.
Centre manager Gary Weeks said: “We try to get all the dogs out each day for a walk of at least twenty minutes.
“We’re lucky because we have a large grounds in a closed off area, but they have to be kept on lead.
“We have three blocks which have around ten dogs each in them, and they all need to be exercised.
“Each block has a member of staff, and they are now taking the dogs out themselves.
“There are all sorts of factors about how far and how long they need to be exercised, such as their age and their breed. Jack Russells will go all day if you let them for example.
“But it does mean at the moment that staff are taking ten dogs for a walk each day, and are probably walking more than 20 km each day.
“Lot of people are concerned they are going to put weight on during lock down, but our staff are getting plenty of exercise”.
Like all charities, Llys Nini is feeling the strain following the corona virus lock down.
It is no longer accepting animals, other than the most desperate cases brought to them by the RSPCA.
Its core funding comes through its 12 shops, but with those having to shut the centre is having to come up with alternative ways of raising money.
They include asking supporters who normally take part in their collective fund-raising Mutt Strut to do so individually, and still make their contributions. To donate to Llys Nini visit their website here.
“The majority of our income comes from our charity shops, and without them we have nothing coming in. It is our primary source of funding,” said Mr Weeks.
“We are having to be creative about how we raise funds at the moment, but people can still contribute, and every little bit is hugely appreciated”.
