How
The first six months of the year feel like they’ve gone by in a flash. We have been busy here in the Mayhew Cattery as the summer months mean just one thing – peak kitten season.
This is the time of year when most unneutered cats come into heat and, as the weather warms up, their litters of kittens are born. Did you know that cats can start having kittens from the mere age of four months old? And that they can have up to four litters per year? It all adds up and we are full to the brim!
An important part of our work is to encourage pet owners to neuter their dogs and cats, to prevent unwanted litters. But for those animals that do arrive in our home, thanks to your ongoing support, we will be there to care for them until they find their forever home.
It is nice to take a moment to pause and celebrate those successes. There have been so many heartwarming stories about the animals we have rehomed since the start of the year. You can read about some of them on page four.
And we have also included a few top tips on how to manage the warm, summer weather for your pet, which you can read about on page 14.
Thank you again for supporting Mayhew and making sure that we can be there for as many dogs and cats that need our help. I’m so grateful for your kindness and compassion.
Georgina Costi, Head of Cattery
You may remember hearing about Pippen and her siblings in a recent letter you received from our Head of Operations and Acting Head of Clinic, Lisa Guiney. Pippen and her five brothers and sisters arrived at Mayhew when they were just six weeks old –vulnerable and very frightened. Pippen was the smallest of the litter and needed the most urgent care and attention. Thanks to kind supporters like you, Pippen was able to receive treatment straight away, as well as a safe and warm place to sleep and rest with her siblings.
Please give today
Please turn to your donation form, call us, go online or scan this QR code
E: info@mayhewanimalhome.org
T: 020 8962 8000 (main) 020 8206 5870 (fundraising)
P: Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green, London NW10 6BJ
W: themayhew.org
The clinic appeal has already raised a brilliant £15,000 - thank you so much if
you gave a gift! This will help ensure our vet team can treat more kittens in need this summer.
Pippen’s story is a happy one - she has found a wonderful new family to make her own (see overleaf). But sadly, we have already seen many more vulnerable kittens left at our door. Last month alone, 42 cats and kittens were brought to us having been given up by their owners or abandoned. Will you help us be there for them all?
We know that times are hard for everyone, but if you can give today – by filling out your donation form or using the details below – we will be so grateful for your support. Thank you.
Just £10 could pay for a full health check for the next kitten that comes in to our care. Please go to themayhew.org/clinic-appeal to give what you can today.
“Tintin is such a lovely and friendly but very curious soul. He picked his person; our son Miles, and he sleeps with him on his bed. Miles couldn’t be much happier with this outcome. It has only been a week, but we feel like he has been with us forever. Thank you for letting us adopt him. He completes our family.”
Monika, Elliot & Miles
Jessie
“Jessie is 100% loon! He chases his own tail, hunts us in our own garden and chirps at the shadows on the wall. We weren’t sure if he would ever be a lap cat, but he gets grumpy now without cuddles. Thank you Mayhew for your hard work as a team and for giving this mad cat a chance!”
Vicky & Mike
Pippen
“Pippen is the sweetest natured cat and has brought so much joy to our home. Our daughters really enjoy playing with her. Pippen is best friends with our neighbour’s cat. They spend hours together every day playing in the garden and trying to get the better of our pet chicken. The chicken always wins!”
Joanne & Family
Bungle went off to his fur-ever home earlier this year (after a tearful goodbye hug from every Mayhew staff member!) and he has been settling in really well.
“He now has lots of doggy friends and has met our family and grandchildren. His behaviour is impeccable, and we are truly delighted! The whole family are completely in love with him. Mr Bungle is the most beautiful doggo!”
Bungle’s new owner
Gary
“Gary is a complete purr machine, and we adore him. He likes to wedge himself into the crook of my elbow and nap/watch me work, which is the ultimate way to destress on busy days. We are so happy that we brought him home.“
Emma
Mayhew operates in two countries overseas where rabies is endemic –Afghanistan and Georgia. We are delivering programmes for both national and local authorities and communities to ensure roaming and owned dogs are vaccinated against rabies, saving their lives and the lives of people they live alongside.
So far this year, thanks to the very kind donations from supporters like you, the clinic team in Kabul were able to hit an important milestone of 35,000 dogs neutered at the clinic at the end of Aprilmeaning our target of 40,000 by August 2023 is well within reach. And as part of our mass rabies vaccination programme,
we are very proud that after vaccinating more than 100,000 dogs, there have been no positive cases since April 2021.
In Georgia, there have been recent outbreaks of rabies in a couple of the regions outside the capital, Tbilisi. The team there have been settling into our new veterinary clinic, which is now fully equipped. We’re pleased to say the team are mobile and at times operate out of pop-up veterinary clinics in more rural towns and locations.
With scores of dogs in both locations still needing help, we really need your support. Thank you for your care and compassion.
If you would like to find out more about our work overseas, please visit themayhew.org/international
June saw a new experiential outdoor campaign for Mayhew, shining a light on the dogs and cats in our care looking to find their second chance and ‘love for life’. Our Loved for Life campaign gave visitors to Westfield in White City the chance to take an interactive quiz to see if they could potentially be the one for a Mayhew dog or cat who is waiting for their forever home.
Mayhew was a winner of a competition held by Ocean Outdoor – the interactive billboard media space at Westfield London was our prize with a further 11 billboards across West London, allowing thousands of people to learn about Mayhew’s work.
On the day, Mayhew staff and volunteers, as well as some visiting TheraPaws dogs, were at Westfield highlighting the importance of adopting rescue animals, and sharing the support we provide to pet owners who are experiencing the strain of these challenging times.
In the first five months of 2023 alone, the number of requests made to us from those needing to give up their dog was up by over 50% compared to the same period last year, and the same figure for cats was about 75%.
These figures are very worrying because at the same time, we are seeing a decrease in the number of prospective adopters and foster carers coming forward to give those dogs and cats a home.
Your help allows us to provide preventative support to worried owners who might be considering giving up their pet and helps us provide care, support and love to dogs and cats looking for their second chance.
For more than 136 years, Mayhew has been here for dogs, cats, pet owners and communities. The support we have been able to provide to animals in need over that time has been greatly aided by gifts left to us in our supporters’ Wills.
In fact, last year more than half of our income came from these gifts. Legacy gifts, of all sizes, can have a transformational impact on the work we’re able to do, now and in the future.
In the past, thanks to our supporters’ bequests, we’ve been able to pay for a new roof on our cattery and refurbish our dog kennels, ensuring that we have safe and comfortable facilities for dogs and cats in need. Any gift you give will make a big difference to the animals in our care.
Mr BJE* remembered Mayhew in his Will in April 2023. His daughters and partner were his main beneficiaries, but he was clearly passionate about animal welfare, leaving a specified amount of his estate to Mayhew and IFAW.
Another very kind supporter, Mr GF* not only left Mayhew a significant sum of money from his estate, but also a share of the proceeds from the sale of his treasured film soundtrack collection.
Including a gift in your own Will to Mayhew is easier than you might think – just follow these steps:
Whether it was Harry Houdini leaving his wife a code to communicate from beyond the grave or Napoleon Bonaparte leaving his close friends the hair from his shaved head, the history of unusual gifts left in Wills dates back centuries. And the UK’s charities have also received their fair share of surprising gifts.
The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) was left a book of rare autographs as part of a legacy from a retired school teacher. The book contained signatures of twentieth century film stars from stage, screen and classical music, including Vivien Leigh and Sir John Mills.
1. Make a note of our charity details found at the end of this article. You will need our full name and details to ensure the gift reaches us.
2. Decide what type of gift you would like to include in your Will. A residuary gift is where a percentage of your estate is donated once all other payments and gifts have been made. Or a pecuniary gift is where a specific amount of money is set aside in your Will. These are two common ways to commemorate your love of animals.
3. Consider inheritance tax. By including 10% of your estate to charity you can reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax you pay and support a cause close to your heart.
4. Create or adjust your Will. Once you’ve got this far, it’s time to visit a solicitor to have your Will drawn up or adjusted. If you don’t have a solicitor, you can find one in your area by contacting the Law Society.
A gift in your Will to Mayhew is an incredible way to leave a lasting legacy for dogs and cats in need of the care, support and love they deserve. Thank you so much if you’ve already thought of us in yours.
The Mayhew Home Registered charity 1077588
Mayhew, Trenmar Gardens, London, NW10 6BJ
Oxfam has received a number of unusual legacies over the years, including a letter written by Florence Nightingale, the royalties to a number of books and plays, as well as a pair of gold teeth and a dentist’s chair from a former dentist! One RNLI supporter left specific instructions in his Will for his money to be spent on a round of drinks for the members and helpers of the Penlee lifeboat crew.
Cheers to that and to all these wonderful legacies!
If you would like to find out more about leaving a gift in your Will, please visit themayhew.org/giftsinwills
Thank you to our amazing supporter Reza Jugon (right) who took part in the Ford Ride London-Essex 60 and raised over £800! You smashed it Reza!
We were pleased to welcome an amazing team of volunteers from Metro Bank (UK) to Mayhew last month. This green-fingered group spruced up our Sensory Garden for our dogs to enjoy, and even picked up some paintbrushes and gave our Adoption Office some love.
As well as learning about the work Mayhew
does in London, Kabul and Tbilisi, the team got the chance to meet two of our TheraPaws dogs and some of the kittens staying with us at the moment.
Volunteers at Mayhew make an invaluable contribution to dogs and cats - thank you so much for spending the day with us and making a real difference!
Nicola and Ryan
The school children raised £434 at their dress up as an animal day! They also collected a van load of food for our animals too.
Pictured above: the kids in their fancy dress, and Helena and her mum Suzanne.
Nicola Blackburn and Ryan Hollreiser (right) ran the Hackney Half Marathon in aid of Mayhew in May this year. They both raised more than £400 each – a fantastic amount!
Thank you Nicola and Ryan!
been left from the night before. I check the diary to see if anyone’s booked to come in, so I’m ready to welcome them. And who works with you on reception?
I have a band of lovely volunteers, wthout whom, I’d be a gibbering wreck! Oh, and of course Molly, who loves to lend a paw.
Is there anything about your job that you think would surprise people to know or that is particularly unusual?
People come in with cats tucked in their armpits and once hanging out of a cornflake packet.
“This service is absolutely invaluable, I have no idea what I would have done if I did not have this help. I do not know where I would have turned to.” Gabi
take Suki in; giving her the care and affection she needed while she was temporarily separated from her loving family. But as we all know, there’s no place like home – and the reunion was “a wonderful moment”.
What is your role at Mayhew?
I’m a receptionist on the Mayhew main reception, so I do anything from taking calls from people that need to give up their animals, people that want to adopt, or people that want some general advice about all the services we provide. And how long have you been with Mayhew?
Prior to this role I volunteered in the kennels, so I’ve been coming here since 1999 – that’s 24 years with Mayhew!
So, what would a day look like? What do you do when you first come in?
I come in earlier than the start of my shift, grab a cup of tea and settle my dog Molly in – she comes into work with me. And then I pick up any messages that have
I’ll never forget this gentleman who lost his dog; he didn’t realise the dog’s microchip wouldn’t work in the UK. He happened to see the dog on our website and called us up. He came in and he was actually on the floor crying his eyes out with his dog bouncing about and we’re all crying. I get teary eyed talking about it. What other jobs do you get to have moments of pure joy like that?
Do you think there are any particular skills you need to have in your role?
You have to be understanding because none of us are perfect and some of our clients have various stresses such as the cost of living crisis. We are here to educate, assist and inform, without any judgement.
What is one thing you wish people knew about Mayhew and they might not know?
That we are not just here to help the animals, but obviously there’s a person at the end of the lead, a person putting food in the cat bowl. These animals are not there in isolation. So we’re helping the pet owners as well.
At Mayhew we understand and value the deep bond that humans and animals share. If you have your own pet, you will know just how you’d feel at the thought of having to be separated from them, for whatever reason.
Gabi, from Brent, was recently facing this challenging situation. She and her family experienced a sudden and unexpected bereavement and needed to leave the country urgently. On top of their grief, Gabi had another worry – who could they turn to for help to look after her beloved 11-year-old Jack Russell, Suki?
Suki has been part of the family since she was a puppy, and had visited Mayhew for her vaccinations in the past. Feeling desperate, Gabi contacted Mayhew, and found out about Pet Refuge. Through this service, we provide temporary care and shelter for the pets of people facing an unexpected crisis or temporary change to their personal circumstances.
Mayhew was able to help Gabi and
“I have no idea what I would have done, if I did not have this help from Mayhew. It was invaluable and I will be forever grateful”, said Gabi.
For many people facing a personal crisis, Pet Refuge is a lifeline; but we can only offer this service with your ongoing support.
Our pets always appreciate a nice treat to help them cool down when it’s hot outside, so here is a refreshing dog ice lolly recipe courtesy of our friends at Edgar & Cooper.
What do you need?
• 1 tin of wet food
• 1 bag of jerky’s, or Dentastix
• Cupcake mould that you can freeze
(Tip: use a silicone mould to easily remove the ice lollies after freezing)
• Tablespoon & fork
• Bowl
With the summer finally here, it’s exciting to be able to make the most of the warmer weather and enjoy the great outdoors with our pets. But the summer can present increased risks to our pets. Here are a few top tips from the team here at Mayhew.
Always make sure your pets have somewhere cool and shady to retreat to when it gets hot, along with access to plenty of fresh drinking water. Animals can feel the symptoms of the heat far quicker than us humans.
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Try to restrict exercising your dogs on hot days, going for walks early in the morning or evening when it is much cooler. Remember, a dog’s paws are extremely sensitive and can burn easily walking on hot pavements and even sand.
Insect bites can be common during the summer, although they’re not usually serious. You can treat these at home with a wrapped ice pack or damp cool towel. Keep an eye out for any allergic reactions and contact your vet if you are concerned.
Recipe:
1. Scoop the wet food from the tin into the bowl and add five tablespoons of lukewarm water. Mash it up with a fork.
2. Fill the cupcake moulds with the wet food to the brim.
3. Place a dental stick or jerky in the centre of each mould.
4. Now place the ice lollies in the freezer for four hours.
5. Ease them out of the mould. And be sure to hold the ice lolly briefly under the tap before you give it to your four-legged friend, to make sure his / her tongue does not stick to it.
6. Ready to enjoy!
And for cats, try using the broth from a tin of tuna or salmon, put it into a freezable mould, pop it in their bowl and voila!
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Pets can get sunburn too, especially those with short hair, white hair or pink ears. You can apply petspecific sun cream when they venture outside, and if they do burn, apply a cool compress to soothe the area.
We all love a BBQ – tasty food and having friends and family over. Be mindful of your pets on these days – BBQ leftovers can be high in fat and cause stomach irritation, and pose a number of other risks to dogs and cats.
Find more tips online about your pet’s health and well-being at: advice.themayhew.org
Our wonderful volunteers support Mayhew in so many ways and without them our work wouldn’t be possible.
One of the ways to volunteer with Mayhew is to attend our range of community events, which help us raise awareness of the services we offer and to raise funds. Every Mayhew event is different, but so much fun!
We attend dog shows, local community street parties and festivals, animal charity awareness events, challenge events, tube station bucket collections, right through to Christmas Carol singing at mainline train stations.
If you can spare even a few hours, we’d love to welcome you to our volunteering family.
Just look at these #PawsomeTeam quotes from some of our volunteers.
“We had such a lovely day at the Dulwich Dog Show being part of the Mayhew team. Thank you for being such good hosts and I look forward to the next one!” Milly
“It was a totally different experience to volunteering at the home, but one I would sign up for again.” Amy
“I meet all sorts of people who all want to talk about the animals in their lives & we can share our love of all ‘creatures great and small’” Jill
If you’d like more information about our events volunteering roles, visit themayhew.org/volunteering
