Tamworth Cat and Dog Refuge founder Jean Medlock is "exhausted" after working every day of the year to feed and home her beloved rescued animals and is retiring at the end of June.

Diagnosed with a hernia in her groin, which prevents her from walking properly, the animal lover has been working around the clock for years with no outside help.

"I haven't had a weekend off in six years and I'm really tired," Mrs Medlock said.

She has been taking in animals for more than 30 years and said the refuge was a tremendous financial drain, costing her $50,000 for her purpose-built Kootingal facility and requiring $200 a week to run.

Mrs Medlock began the refuge six years ago, moving from Moonbi with 13 cats and two dogs and has re homed up to 500 dogs and 250 cats a year.

"I get them from death row at the pound, from deceased estates, sometimes people just throw them over the fence," she said. "They find me."

Mrs Medlock has sold her property and will be moving to Woolamin in the next month, leaving her with 16 dogs, four kittens and three cats to urgently rehome. She says she is happy to help out anyone who is interested in taking on her role, providing them with practical items such as kennels and taking them through the pitfalls of such a role.

Mrs Medlock is looking forward to being able to visit her family more and go to the markets on a weekend.

"You could count on one hand the number of times I've seen my grandchildren," she said.

Mrs Medlock said she would be emotional for a while after closing the refuge, but will still have a hand in helping Tamworth's abandoned pets.

"I'm taking a rotty cross in on Saturday," she said.

"His owners didn't want him anymore."