Earlier this month, the RSCPA announced plans to an expand its Hunter Veterinary Hospital at Rutherford following the closure of its Tighes Hill site.

A spokesman for the RSCPA said the decision was made to close the Tighes Hill Veterinary Hospital after its lease came to an end.

"We have decided to expand the current vet clinic at Rutherford and centralise our operations in the Hunter region - this will include the addition of consultation rooms, facilities for surgical offerings and a variety of specialised services for animals in the area," he said.

"We have identified a need for these services to be available, and we hope that by expanding the facility and centralising our services and staff, we can help more people help more animals.

"The Tighes Hill vet staff currently work out of both Hunter and Tighes Hill, and they will go on to work out of the Hunter Vet Hospital where they will treat both pets and shelter animals.

"Maitland is the fastest growing regional city in NSW, and the Hunter Veterinary Hospital expansions will allow the rapidly growing community to access these services."

The expansion is made possible after a generous donation bequeathed to the organisation by the late Sheila Woodcock of Newcastle.

The RSPCA spokesman added the organisation was working to ensure there were not too many disruptions for clients and their feathered, scaled or furry companions.

"The Tighes Hill Veterinary Hospital is a vet clinic for private patients, not a shelter, and it also operates as an impound facility for the council," he said.

"Although the Tighes Hill facility will cease to operate as a vet clinic, it will continue to operate as an impound facility until the end of the financial year.

"Clients of the vet hospital will have their vet appointments, with their usual vet, transferred automatically to the Hunter Vet Hospital.

"We can also transfer client information to another local vet if they want to change vets."

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