Bubble, a cheeky little 5 month old pug, is the 800th pet to be brought into the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in Old Windsor this year.
Last year Battersea Old Windsor cared for 1,300 dogs and over 500 cats, taking in an average of 6 animals per day. The entire charity, which also has centres in Battersea and Brands Hatch in Kent, cared for a remarkable 8,435 animals last year.
Why are so many animals being taken in?
60% of animals are given up by their owners. This may be due to the owner’s inability to afford the bills, the owners moving abroad or sometimes family illness meaning that caring for a pet becomes increasingly difficult. Relationship and separation problems can also lead to animals being given up as they become distressed and bored when left alone for long periods of time. Sometimes, the pets simply do not integrate well with other animals already in the household and rehoming seems the most suitable option.
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home also takes in and cares for stray dogs and cats, which make up almost 40% of their inhabitants. Of the 3,000 stray animals found last year, 59% of dogs and 22% of cats had microchips, helping to reunite the animals with the owners.
Staying at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home welcomes all dogs and cats regardless of breed, age, behaviour and any medical issues. There is no time limit on their stay and centres are open every day.
When the animals arrive they are immediately given a health check and scanned for microchips which can help identify the owners of stray animals. If there are medical issues, the Home has a team of 33 clinic staff, including 8 vets, who endeavour to treat them. To this end, the clinic carries out approximately 19 operations per weekday.
The animals are also cared for by the Rehoming and Welfare Team who arrange comfortable beds, food and water for each of the animals. They also assess the dogs and cats to find out their temperament and this information is used to ensure the animals are placed in suitable homes. A team of 350 Dog Socialising and Kennel Support Volunteers regularly walk and play with the dogs, taking them out of the premises and for walks in nearby parks. Other volunteers spend time in the kennels and cat pens, giving attention to the animals and keeping them active.
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home has been very successful in finding homes for its animals. The average length of time dogs spent at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is just 36 days, and for cats it’s even less at 27 days. Since the charity was launched in 1860, it has rescued, reunited and rehomed over 3.1 million pets.
To learn more about the great work that this charity does please visit their website.
[magicactionbox]
