An animal charity which is already facing a looming financial crisis has been dealt another blow - a £1,600 bill for emergency surgery on four injured cats.

Worthing and District Animal Rescue Service (Wadars) has suffered losses of more than £200,000 in the last financial year and could be out of business by 2007.

It means pets like Dusty, who was seriously hurt in a road crash, will be put down if other rescue charities cannot shoulder the burden.

Dusty is one of four cats hurt in traffic accidents. The owners of the other three could not afford to pay to save their lives and they faced being put down.

So they were handed over to Wadars.

The charity took the unwanted pets in and paid for their operations.

Dusty, a one-year-old grey and white tom cat, was so badly injured he has had pins and a cage placed on his leg after breaking his thigh and pelvis.

The operation cost the charity £800.

One of the other three cats suffered a broken jaw.

The accidents all happened within the last few weeks and the cost of saving the animals' lives adds up to £1,600.

Now the charity not only hopes to find new homes for the recovering felines but is also appealing for help to foot the bill.

Billy Elliott, of Wadars, said: "Dusty was a stray and someone found him and brought him to us. We hope to find him a home.

"He's a lovely cat and doesn't seem to mind us pulling him about. He will need cage rest for about three weeks and probably six weeks' rest after that when he has his pins removed."

Mr Elliott said: "All of these cats would have been put down had we not paid for the treatment. Their owners did not have insurance and could not afford to pay."

The bills are the latest to add to the charity's financial worries.

Last year it spent almost £50,000 on vets' bills and £20,000 on donations to other organisations which took in its animals.

A drop in legacies, investment losses and mounting running costs have also contributed.

Anyone who can make a donation to the charity to help pay for the cats' treatment should contact Wadars on 01903 217788.