Westminster councillor starts 2023 with first visit to animal welfare charity Mayhew

Labour Councillor for West End Ward, City of Westminster, Jessica Toale, has started the New Year with her first visit to London animal rescue charity, Mayhew.

As part of her tour of the charity on Friday 20 January, Councillor Toale learned about the breadth of the charity’s work across five boroughs in London and internationally. She also heard about the issues Mayhew is currently addressing with pet owners who are struggling or unable to keep their pets due to the cost of living crisis.

Vital services

Councillor Toale was shown some of the important services Mayhew offers pet owners ranging from its modern Community Vet Clinic which provides free of charge preventative veterinary care including neutering, vaccinations and micro-chipping to pet owners who cannot afford it to Individual Care Packages which contain key items pet owners may be struggling to afford, such as dog or cat food, collars, leads and bedding.

Councillor Toale was especially keen to understand more about the Pet Refuge programme that provides shelter and care for the pets of people unexpectedly and temporarily unable to care for their pets, and TheraPaws, an Animal Assisted Intervention programme designed to promote physical, social and emotional wellbeing. For more information about the services Mayhew provides pet owners, please visit https://themayhew.org/community-support/

A dog is ofen a homeless person’s only companion

The importance of volunteers

Speaking about the visit, Councillor Toale explains, “One of the things that really came to light during my visit to Mayhew was just how much the charity depends on volunteers. They are a key part of the team and are needed and valued more than ever now.”

She continues, “Mayhew provides vital services free of cost for struggling pet owners, but it costs £6,000 a day to keep the centre open. Volunteers are essential to enabling Mayhew to continue to serve the community’s cats, dogs and their owners in these tough times. The Mayhew and its volunteers are an incredible force for good, delivering real impact in some of the most deprived areas of London. I cannot urge people enough to reach out and see how they can make a difference to charities like Mayhew by volunteering.”

Commenting about the visit, Sherine Wheeler, Mayhew’s

Helping animals. Helping people

Mayhew is more than an animal rescue centre. We are working to improve animal welfare in the community and to support the people who live in it. Our team work with people in crisis or in need of support and protect the vital bond they share with their animal.

Our work with homelessness

We work closely with homeless charities across London to make sure we keep people and their animals together.

Mayhew has been a lifeline for the homeless and rough sleepers since 2000

A dog is often a homeless person’s only companion, but the added expense of vet and food bills puts an extra burden on people who are already in a vulnerable situation. Our Animal Welfare Officers regularly visit the homeless and their dogs at centres and on the streets, where they build close and trusted relationships with them and provide free general

Homeless Gulbar's best friend was involved in a hit and run. He called Mayhew for urgent help. Watch the fight of their lives https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vog0VLZfm0

Chief Executive said, “We were delighted to welcome Councillor Toale to Mayhew. As an animal lover and campaigner, we hope Councillor Toale will be able to champion some of the concerns that many pet owners in London and in her ward are experiencing now. We value our relationships with Councillors across the five boroughs of London in which we operate, and this marks the beginning of a very exciting and positive relationship with someone who really wants to know more about the issues a charity like Mayhew is facing in these challenging times.” n To find out more about volunteering, head to https://themayhew.org/get-involved/volunteering/ or to donate please visit https://themayhew.org/donate/ health checks and microchipping.

We work with homeless centres across London and offer preventative vet care including neutering, vaccinations, defleaing and worming treatments. We give collars, tags and leads to keep their dogs safe and jackets to keep them warm in the cold winter months. We make sure all the dogs have plenty of food and our dedicated Animal Welfare Officers are always there to help, no matter how difficult the situation may be.

Changing perceptions

Many people believe that those who can’t support themselves financially but own a pet are irresponsible. We see first hand just how important the bond between a vulnerable person and their pet can be.

In 2018 we created a campaign to try and change these perceptions. These stories explore life of the streets of London for owner and dog. Watch the films here https://themayhew.org/homeless/