Sir – We would like to ask for your readers’ help.

This weekend is known as ‘Black Saturday’, when we log the highest number of calls in one day.

Normally we receive a call from the public every 30 seconds asking for our help, but on Black Saturday this leaps up to one call every eight seconds!

It is worth remembering that the RSPCA has less than 500 frontline staff for the whole of England and Wales who deal with these calls and investigations (equating to one for every 110,446 people) – and their workload during this time increases dramatically.

It is this ever increasing demand for our services has led to the RSPCA to call for a ‘Home Guard’ of willing volunteers to help it take up the strain – affectionately dubbed animal welfare’s answer to ‘Dads – or Mums – Army!’.

We hope this special volunteers group will be formed by summer 2014 and provide specialist voluntary support to our officers during peak times.

A vigorous selection and training process will begin by the end of this year, and all applicants are expected to have experience of working with animals and have a full clean driving license.

The RSPCA is particularly looking for ex-inspectors, local authority or trading standards employees, police or those who have worked in wildlife or animal centres.

If you would like to be part of RSPCA’s ‘Dad’s Army’ please go to the myrspca section of the website (www.rspca.org.uk) and email us your details with the heading ‘SPECIAL VOLUNTEER’.

We thank you for your understanding at this extremely busy time and look forward to hearing from local residents who would be interested in becoming a special volunteer in the coming months.

RSPCA Chief Officer of the Inspectorate, Kevin Degenhard