insideKENT Magazine Issue 65 - August 2017 | Page 166

CHARITY
Kent Charity Profile:
BATTERSEA
DOGS & CATS HOME
AS A NATION WE LOVE OUR ANIMALS, AND YET ANIMAL SHELTERS AND
CHARITIES STILL NEED TO EXIST. THIS MONTH, insideKENT’S LISAMARIE LAMB
SPOKE TO BATTERSEA DOGS & CATS HOME BRANDS HATCH CENTRE MANAGER,
ANNA HEMMINGS, ABOUT HOW BATTERSEA CONTINUES TO HELP ANIMALS.
What is it that Battersea does?
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is passionate
about the welfare of dogs and cats and all our
work is inspired by our love of animals. Since
the charity was founded, Battersea has cared
for over 3.1 million dogs and cats. We care for
them until their owners or loving new homes
can be found, no matter how long it takes.
Why is the work that Battersea does so
important?
Battersea aims to never turn away a dog or cat
in need of our help. The rescue centre takes
in a dog or cat no matter the breed, condition,
age, temperament or health. Last year, we
cared for over 7,000 animals in total – this
included around 4,000 dogs and 3,000 cats
across all three of our sites.
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What is the charity’s history, and what are
its links to Kent?
Battersea is one of the UK’s oldest animal
rescue centres, first opened in 1860 by our
founder Mary Tealby. There are three sites in
the UK: London, Windsor and Kent. Our Kent
site is in Brands Hatch. It’s the smallest in
terms of occupancy but it covers over 15 acres.
Last year, we cared for around 755 animals –
around 500 dogs and 255 cats. The average
stay for a dog here is 43 days and 28 days for
a cat.
We’re based in quite a rural setting at Brands
Hatch but that really suits the dogs we take in
as we have huge fields and woodland where
we can take them for walks so they can spend
some time outside of the kennels. It really
helps them to relax a bit more as kennel life
can be stressful for some dogs.
Our cats have large pens for them to roam
around in too, as well as lots of space for them
to hide for those who are a bit shy. We try to
make their stay as comfortable as possible
with a dedicated care group assigned to each
animal, but it doesn’t really compare to having
their own home with their own family.
Do you have any events coming up?
We have several events coming up, like the
last of our Muddy Dog Challenge at Hever
Castle on 30th September. Humans, with or
without dogs, can take part in our muddy
obstacle course. It’s a really popular and fun
day – people and dogs get muddy but it’s lots
of fun! People can still sign up to the event
and raise some money for Battersea. We have
a full list of events on our website
www.battersea.org.uk.