The Mayhew - Summer 2013 Magazine

The Mayhew Animal Home

The Mayhew Helping animals and their carers since 1886™ Issue 36

Summer 2013

Hyde Bark Returns!

Rankin to judge your pet photos!

Launch of our Pet Health Awareness month The future of animal welfare Train at The Mayhew

ÂŁ1 (where sold)

Contents 05

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Mayhew Pet Health Awareness Month

Find out more about how we are making pets a priority.

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News and Events

Find out what we have been up to and how to get involved. www.veryimportantpets.co.uk vip@veryimportantpets.co.uk Vet Accredited

Veterinary Nurse Owned Company

Established 2001

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Snap Happy returns

Submit your entries to be seen by world-famous photographer, Rankin!

12 Career courses at The Mayhew

We are so much more than a 14

How bequests enable us to operate year on year.

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Safety takes seconds

Why we’ve got a chip on our shoulder.

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What’s on

Put these dates in your diary.

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Find me a home

Our dogs, cats and rabbits looking for a new home.

22 Letters

rescue centre.

Happily homed updates.

Book review

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Part of the Team

We review ‘Absolutely Barking: Adventures in Dog Ownership’.

EAH Recycling

Let your love for animals live on

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Summer safety tips for cats

Keep them cool and calm.

We chat to Paul, one of our Animal Welfare Officers.

Empty Printer Cartridge & Mobile Phone Appeal As a result of the above recycling schemes we have raised over £5,500 — so a huge thank you to all supporters who have taken part.

The schemes continue, so keep up the good work by sending your empty cartridges and mobile phones to EAH Recycling in the enclosed freepost envelope.

Every cartridge and mobile phone is much appreciated as The Mayhew Animal Home receives a generous donation for each one.

Please note we do not recycle Epson, Kodak, laser or toner cartridges. Only working mobiles post-2003 and no chargers. No phones with aerials please as there is no value.

Any queries regarding suitable cartridges or mobiles please phone EAH Recycling on —

01473 658 161 2

The Mayhew

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The Mayhew Animal Home Registered Charity no. 1077588 Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green, London NW10 6BJ Tel: 020 8969 0178 Fax: 020 8964 3221 Email: info@mayhewanimalhome.org www.themayhew.org

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Events: events@mayhewanimalhome.org Clinic appointments: vetclinic@mayhewanimalhome.org Fostering or adoption enquiries: Dogs: lisa@mayhewanimalhome.org dogfostering@mayhewanimalhome.org Cats and Rabbits: matthew@mayhewanimalhome.org

Trustees: Adam Halsey, Chair, Joan Dixon, Judy Purves, Fiona Ash, John Matthews, Svetlana Iganiteva Photographers: Yvonne White, Rebecca Hadell, Freddie Wright Contributors: Sarah Dickinson, Alison Morgan Design concept: Grade Design Layout: www.ithinkitsnice.com Print: DC Direct

please recycle after reading

Welcome The year certainly is racing past and it is hard to believe it is already May. But we have accomplished so much already this year, with record numbers of neutering procedures, feral cats that have been trapped, neutered and returned and nearly 200 animals rehomed.

We know that although these small successes are vital, we must ensure that the message of responsible pet ownership spreads far and wide, which is why we have dedicated the month of July to a Mayhew Pet Health Awareness Month. Find out more on page 5 about how we will be working hard to reach as many people as possible to reinforce the importance of pet health and safety.

In the next two months we will be hosting two of our biggest events; Hyde Bark on June 9th and our annual Open Day on July 21st. Hyde Bark is set to be a really spectacular event this year so you would be mad to miss it! Find out all about what we have in store for you on page 9.

There will be some famous friends of The Mayhew dropping by to join us for our Hyde Bark dog show, but they are not the only ones to judge in aid of our charity this year. World-famous photographer, Rankin, will be casting his expert eye over entrants to our Snap Happy photographic competition and choosing the winners! Take a read on page 10 for how you can enter the comp and be in with a chance of having your snap selected by

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The Mayhew

Mayhew Pet Health Awareness Month The site for our rescue centre in London was established over 125 years ago in 1886 with the sole purpose of helping thousands of dogs, cats, rabbits and other animals escape a life of abandonment, neglect and cruelty each year. We still adhere to the same mission but we are also committed to raising awareness of pet welfare as well as saving those in distress.

TV stars model our T-shirts!

the UK’s most renowned photographer; an accolade you can boast about to all your friends!

And if exciting events and creative competitions weren’t enough we are also offering readers of this magazine the chance to take up a very special offer and style themselves in one of our limited edition T-shirts for only £7! Visit www.themayhew. org/specialoffer and select from our merchandise range which includes fans like TOWIE star Lauren Pope, as you can see!

Other features in our Summer edition include news of our onsite training scheme for those committed to a career in animal welfare (page 12), an interview with one of our Animal Welfare

Officers and how money from legacies is vital to keeping The Mayhew operating from one year to the next.

We do hope you will open up your diaries and pencil in our summer events as we hope to see as many Mayhew supporters there on the day to come and say Hello!

Sarah Dickinson Media and Communications Manager sarah@mayhewanimalhome.org

Although Britain purports to be a ‘nation of animal-lovers’, The Mayhew sadly sees evidence to the contrary, with a rise in welfare cases and unwanted animals needing our charity’s help.That is why we have decided to dedicate the month of July to raising awareness about pet health and promote advice and avenues of help for pet owners.

Neutering Our Animal Welfare Officers (AWOs) are being kept incredibly busy after a notable rise in reports of hoarding cases and requests for help from pet owners, whose numbers of animals have got out of control.

The Mayhew believes that neutering is the hallmark of responsible pet ownership and runs the only initiative in the

UK to neuter bull breeds for free, irrespective of financial circumstances or owner location.

Vaccinations and essential treatments With the recession continuing to force people to live on tighter budgets, pets can often be left in the column of ‘unessential expenditure’ as owners cut back on vaccinations, dental checks and flea and worming treatments. Our vet team assist many owners whose pet’s flea allergies, or dental health deterioration, has meant that their animal is now in distress.

Our services allow any pet owner to take advantage of our low-cost vaccinations or contact our animal welfare team if they are in crisis with being able to care for their pet.

Microchipping We will be encouraging people to attend our weekly Nurses Clinic, where they can get a pet M.O.T, advice on weight and dietary needs, nail clipping and microchipping.

Find out more about the vital importance of micro-chipping your pet on page 18.

Keep an eye out for our actions in July and please share the details of our services to assist us in reaching more pet owners, and animals, in need.

We will never judge anyone seeking help for an animal and will do everything in our power to assist in every individual circumstance.

To book an appointment at our Community Vet Clinic call 020 8968 2447 or email vetclinic@mayhewanimalhome.org. For animal welfare advice call 020 8969 0178.

www.themayhew.org

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News round up Read what we have been up to over the last couple of months

Wetnose Award In March, we were delighted to attend the glamorous Wetnose Animal Awards, which was created in 2006 and has grown in size yearly, helping many small charities with their fundraising.

Not only were we able to enjoy the fantastic ceremony, which celebrated the work of a number of deserving organisations, but we were thrilled ourselves to receive the Lester Middlehurst Award – a tribute to the renowned journalist who was involved with the Awards since their conception.

The Mayhew 500 Challenge Give your Pet a Treat & Support your Favourite Animal Charity With Husse GLN Pet Products

The Mayhew Animal Home will receive 40% of proceeds from the sale of: Five hundred 100% Pure Oven Roasted Chicken Treats for dogs (Kycklingfile) & 500 Nutritious 4-Sorter Packs of wet food for cats Crafted & Delivered by Husse: Masters of Swedish Pet Food The Husse GLN team takes great pride in working with local animal charities. We are delighted to be running this campaign in aid of The Mayhew Animal Home. We will not profit from your purchase.

Mayhew supporters and friends can order direct at www.husse.co.uk/Mayhew Like us on Facebook to follow campaign progress www.facebook.com/HusseGreaterLondonNorth Contact Mark or Jo at Husse Greater London North (GLN):

T. 0203 004 5255

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hussegln@husse.co.uk

The Mayhew

We received a cheque for £1,000, a wonderful prize which we will use both to benefit the animals in our care and the ones that we help globally at Mayhew International.

Our Mayhew Survey Thanks so much to all of you who filled in our survey that we highlighted in the last edition of our magazine. Almost 90% of you who filled in the form are happy with the amount of mail that you receive from The Mayhew and over 200 more people have decided to save paper and receive their magazine by email instead.

We received some lovely comments about our work including, “I think you all do a great job” and we had some very good advice that we can follow in the future e.g. “a better range of pet-related items for bigger pets in your catalogue would be no bad thing”. The magazine seems to be very popular with your favourite part of the magazine being the animal stories. It is so important for us to get to know our supporters so if you do still want to feed anything back to us please go to: www.themayhew.org/yourvoice

Could you help those in desperate need?

We are currently hoping to hear from potential foster carers for dogs through our Pet Refuge scheme. This vital programme was set up to provide care for animals when their owners are temporarily unable to look after them and is aimed at helping people who have, for instance, been admitted to hospital, need rehabilitation or have a home damaged by fire.

The scheme, which has been running for seven years, has proved both popular and invaluable for those benefiting from the help on offer. Due to the great demand for this service, The Mayhew is now appealing for potential pet foster carers to come forward.

Our Animal Welfare team would like to hear from people who are experienced with looking after dogs and who are ideally at home for most

of the day. The care period for pet refuge dogs may vary from a few weeks to three months and we are particularly interested in foster carers willing to look after larger breeds of dogs.

If you think you could assist an animal and owner in desperate need by fostering, please contact Zoe Edwards on 020 8968 2353

A crafty Crufts for charity!

We were delighted when we were contacted by a local school letting us know they had chosen our animals to benefit from a very unique fundraiser.

The 2013 Lower School Art and Design exhibition was the first ever Godolphin and Latymer School Crufts.

All 326 Lower School pupils took part in the show, exhibiting their very own mobile dog sculpture. The private view took a slightly unconventional format in that pupils presented their dogs in the format of a dog show.

materials but also to provide them with a project full of fun.

However, another of our goals was to raise funds for The Mayhew Animal Home which is currently one of the busiest and most effective animal welfare organisations in London.

To date we have raised £924 for this charity and all the proceeds will go towards helping the homeless cats, dogs and rabbits in their care.”

There was a thrilling atmosphere whilst girls showed their dogs and discussed breeds and explained how they created their sculpture.

Head of Art and Design, Lucy Cooper, said: “This was a brilliant opportunity for us to celebrate the girl’s strong technical skills and innovative use of www.themayhew.org

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Events round up

Hyde Bark returns!

It has been a fantastically busy couple of months and we’ve had a great time at some wonderful events. Events Officer, Lisa Houlihan, gives us a report on what has been happening.

After the amazing success of our first dog show extravaganza on Hyde Park on April last year, we are back and taking this summer by storm! This year’s event will be on Sunday 9th June from 10am–5pm and you would be barking mad to miss it!

Sun shone down on our Spring Fair Our annual Spring Fair was a great day out, full of fun for children and adults alike. There was much activity throughout the day including a mask-making competition, facepainting, children’s games and the much anticipated Easter egg hunt in the garden. Guests on the day helped us raise over £3,000 for our homeless animals and staff and volunteers were on hand to explain the work of the charity, including the role of The Mayhew’s Animal Welfare Officers

and the vet team working at our Community Vet Clinic.

It was truly a fantastic day and we were delighted with the turnout of so many supporters of our charity. We raised much more money than expected from the generous crowds and we would like to extend our thanks to Daniels Estate Agent who also gave us a Spring gift of £1,000 for our animals. We can’t wait for our next event at The Mayhew in July for our annual Open Day.

Hyde Bark

is the perfect family day out, packed full of attractions, entertainment and activities. We will have our fabulous dog agility area hosted by ‘Halo Dogs’, pooch portraits by Yvonne at ‘White Gold Images’, vet demonstrations and temptation alley, which challenges even the best behaved pooch! In addition, there will be children’s activities, face painting and so many exciting

stalls to browse. And if that wasn’t enough, we have pet experts joining to provide advice, vet Q+As and our fantastic Animal Welfare Officers on hand to answer any questions and talk about the amazing projects we have on the go!

There will be something for everyone to enjoy and enough going on to keep you entertained all day. A truly PET-tacular day for all the family!

Dog Show

Does your furry friend have what it takes to dazzle us with their shiny coat, melt our hearts in ‘Sweetest Staffie’, or make us laugh with ‘Owner Lookalikes’?

Our amazing dog show will get the day off to a wooftastic start with special celebrity judges and entertaining compères. It is just £3 to enter any class and you can enter as many categories as you like. All proceeds go directly to helping our rescued dogs, cats and rabbits at the Home. Registration opens at 9.00am

Chelsea Football Club collection On Saturday 19th January, our faithful volunteers joined the Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham and West London Action for Children to collect donations in heavy snow!

Kitted out with numerous jumpers, hats, gloves and scarves we braved the blizzard to raise money and awareness for the two charities.

The weather may not have been perfect but smiles were plentiful and spirits were high. We raised £936.37 on the day and we also managed to talk to lots of people about the wonderful work The Mayhew do and the community projects we are involved in. A grateful thanks to the Mayor for organising!

Ealing Animal Welfare Bazaar We were extremely happy to be invited to attend the Ealing Animal Welfare Bazaar again this year. What a fantastic event!

There were many animal welfare charities in attendance and lots of treats to buy. Our volunteers had a blast and we were able to talk about exciting Mayhew projects such as TheraPaws, our volunteering opportunities, fantastic upcoming events and of course, the work we do at the home to help our homeless cats, dogs and rabbits. We sold our exclusive new merchandise, collected donations and made a whopping £392.42!

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The Mayhew

Dog Walk

Just when you thought the day couldn’t get any better, we also have our ever-popular sponsored dog walk; canine camaraderie at its best!

Join lots of enthusiastic dogs and their families on a beautiful summer walk around Hyde Park and The Serpentine. We’re hoping to get over 100 pooch participants and make this year the most successful sponsored dog walk yet! You can register online before the event and it’s just

£10 per pooch to take part in the five kilometre walk. And you can also register on the day. Registration opens at 12pm and the walk starts at 4.15pm. We’ve thought of everything to ensure the timings during the day mean you can take part and experience everything. Get involved and help us raise funds for our cats, dogs and rabbits here at The Mayhew. On completion of the walk you and your furry friend will receive some treats and a certificate!

so get there early as places go fast!

Watch out for our new categories this year including Rock Star (fancy dress optional).

This is a light-hearted, fun dog show and will run from 10am right through to ‘Best in Show’ at 3.15pm.

We have rosettes, goodie bags and certificates for winners as well as some great prizes. For example, ‘Best In Show’ will win a terrific selection of prizes including a head and shoulder portrait by Sara Abbott who runs Always Paint worth over £450.

To register online for the Dog Walk, please visit : www.themayhew.org/ hydebarkdogwalk For more information about the event in general, or to book a stall, please contact Lisa Houlihan on 020 8968 2445 or email events@mayhewanimalhome.org

www.themayhew.org

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Snap Happy competition

Categories

Our photo competition is back once more and we know you will be seizing your SLR’s faster than the quickest shutter speed when you find out which famous photographer is judging this year.

Golden Oldies

Perfect Portrait

Photos of your beloved pets enjoying their twilight years.

A beautiful image of your best pal

Best ‘Photo-bomb’ Pics of cheeky pets photo-bombing a picture they shouldn’t be in (see photo below-right).

A tough category but if you snap your dog diving, or your cat catching, you could be in with a chance of the top spot.

Secret Agent

Sleeping Beauties

Those moments where you catch your furry friend on a mission impossible doing something they shouldn’t.

We all know how much our pets like to snooze, so while they are napping grab your camera and snap the dozy dreamers.

Lights, Camera, Action

How to enter In order for your photograph to be entered into our competition, you must include: • Photo or digital image (digital images to lauren@mayhewanimalhome.org) • Payment by cheque, or card details by phone to 020 8968 2446 • Your pet’s name and age • Your name, address and contact number • Which categories you would like to enter • A SAE if you would like any photographs returned The standard of photography in our Snap Happy competition is always excellent, which is why we have invited a world famous photographer to judge your entries for 2013.

Renowned for his portraits and fashion photography, Rankin has snapped some of the most familiar faces of our age, from Kate Moss, to Brittany Spears, to The Rolling Stones and even the Queen!

He may be Britain’s finest 10

The Mayhew

photographer gaining access to the hottest catwalks and the most intimate portrait sittings, but that hasn’t stopped Rankin dedicating time to charity, documenting many striking images globally for humanitarian charities.

As an animal lover and nearby resident to our rescue centre we knew he would love the chance to check out the creativity from our readers. He will be selecting the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place

photographs for each category and an overall winner from the whole competition.

Enter as many of the following categories, with as many images as you wish and see if the combination of your keen eye and your photogenic pet can pip others to the post. All winning entries will be featured in our Autumn/Winter edition and winning landscape images will also be printed in our Mayhew calendar 2014.

Competition rules 1. Entry costs £1 for every photo submitted 2. You may enter the competition more than once.

3. By entering the competition you are giving The Mayhew permission to use your photo in our magazine, website, Facebook etc 4. Entries must be received by July 23rd 2013 5. Photos must be taken by the entrant

6. Photos can be in colour or black and white 7. Winners will be notified by letter , phone or email 8. If you would like the photograph returned you must provide a SAE 9. The Mayhew cannot be responsible for any photos lost/damaged in transit, so please do not send any irreplaceable photographs www.themayhew.org

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Career courses at The Mayhew

The Mayhew recruits students twice a year for the QCF courses run at our rescue centre. QCF stands for ‘Qualification and Credit Framework’ and all Mayhew students work towards obtaining a Diploma based on points obtained through both hands-on and study-based work assessments.

Kristina Dimitrova has been a student at The Mayhew since 2010 and is now a paid member of staff whilst simultaneously completing her Level 3 work based award in Animal Management.

For many it can seem a dream job to imagine spending the working week caring for animals in need.

Kristina explains more about just what dedicating your career to animal care really entails …

What are the main hands-on tasks you have to complete at the Home as part of the course?

To invest in the future of animal welfare is to invest in the future of those who will help the vulnerable victims of abuse and promote the need for the highest standards of care. That is why The Mayhew provides several training opportunities onsite, including a work based award in Animal Care, in conjunction with the College of Animal Welfare.

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The Mayhew

As the course is focused entirely on animal care our main responsibilities involve looking after The Mayhew residents on a daily basis, meeting their every need and also promoting animal welfare as a whole. A typical day begins with cleaning the individual accommodation on the dog, cat or rabbit section; depending on where we have been allocated for the day by The Mayhew’s Head of Animal Welfare. This certainly takes some time as we have 68 cabins on the Cattery and Kitten block and 15 kennels. We then feed all animals according to their individual requirements and on a schedule which means they can quickly become accustomed to a routine.

Later in the day we have more time for socialisation, which can mean spending time with nervous animals that need to come out of their shell and potentially introducing them to others from the same species if it is of benefit to them. While doing all this we also need to keep a close eye on the health and behaviour of all animals in order to look out for any problems they might develop as, if this is the case, we need to have them seen by our onsite vet team.

What study-based elements do you have to complete at the Home as part of your course?

We are assigned an assessor from the College of Animal Welfare who visits us periodically to assign the coursework and review it for the qualifications we work towards. The coursework consists of units on

which we need to produce reports; e.g. on the different aspects of animal care and how we carry out the job required. We have to collect evidence in the form of photographs, documentation and case study examples. We are shown everything that we might need to know through the hands-on experience we get at The Mayhew and the staff are always happy to help with any queries we might have.

Why is the QCF course the best option for you for what you wish to pursue in your career?

I used to work in the Admin sector for years but wasn’t happy and wanted to do something I really care about so I decided to change my career path and work with animals.

I’m happy I found this course because it only asks for three days of your week in exchange for a handson experience in animal care in a busy rescue centre, and a qualification at the end of the course. It is a great opportunity for anyone trying to make a new start in the animal welfare sector as it gives you the hands on experience and the right qualifications for a job.

What are the best elements of your course?

The animals, of course, as we are the people that look after them, helping them get through whatever problems they might have on arrival be it stress, fear, confusion over losing their owners or an illness which may have been affecting them for some time.

We are there for them offering

comfort, reassurance, teach them to trust people again. We see them off to their new homes and get fantastic updates of how happy they are. It gives us great satisfaction and makes the job worthwhile.

What are the most difficult elements of your course?

Having to accept the cruelty and abuse when seeing the arrival of neglected, abandoned and abused animals. It is heart breaking but you must keep focused and concentrate on what you need to do to help.

Sometimes we lose animals due to conditions they have suffered with and it can be hard dealing with this, especially when we have spent time caring for them. But then another animal will come through the doors who also needs our care and attention as our mission must be to help and care for the animals, educate people where we can and promote animal welfare.

Work Based Awards can lead to employment in: • • • •

Animal Care Veterinary Nurse training Animal Adoption Animal Welfare

The next application period for the course is from the 1st–30th June 2013. For more information visit: www.themayhew.org/education or call 020 8969 0178

www.themayhew.org

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Book review

Absolutely Barking: Adventures in Dog Ownership The perfect book for animal-lovers everywhere, Michele Hanson’s ‘Absolutely Barking: Adventures in Dog Ownership’ provides an invaluable insight into the everyday world of dogs and their owners. In a series of page-turning anecdotes from Michele’s life with her beloved Boxer dogs, (Daisy, Lily and Violet), she shares with us the true joy, sorrow, hilarity, love, dedication and real hard work involved in life with your beloved pet.

For anyone who has ever owned a dog, these stories of embarrassing encounters in the park, expensive trips to the vet and those mad moments of utter devotion to your dog, are sure to echo your own canine adventures and make you laugh or indeed cry! Conversely, to anyone considering getting a dog, Michele’s years of experience and her candid accounts will provide a vivid snapshot of what owning a dog is really like, before you make that big decision to become a responsible dog owner.

Very importantly – as well as showing us the good stuff – this book does not shy away from the dark side of the dog world. The author talks candidly about her encounters with dangerous owners, the horrific mistreatment that goes on more often than we would like to think, the great work of rescue organisations and charities as well as the kindness of some extraordinary people who go out of their way to help animals in need.

This book is for dog-lovers, wannabe dog-owners or even those who are scared of dogs and don’t understand their dog-loving friends. It’s perfect for dipping in and out of; a warm, funny journey through the world according to dogs and their owners and the extra special bond that exists between them.

Review written by Mayhew supporter, Holly Donoghue

Absolutely Barking: Adventures in Dog Ownership is available now in good bookshops, published by Simon & Schuster, RRP £12.99.

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The Mayhew

Safety tips for cats this Summer For most cats, summer time means endless hours of exploration in the great outdoors. But sunny weather can bring about a few dangers for your feline friend, so here are a few safety tips for the months ahead from our Cat Welfare Co-ordinator, JoAnna Puzzo.

• Provide plenty of water bowls in several areas around the home, bearing in mind that cats will drink more from a water bowl placed away from their food bowl.

• Keep on top of your cat’s worm and flea treatment regime. Check your pet often for any signs of fleas and ticks.

• Summer means open garden sheds containing nasty chemicals, which can contaminate cats’ paws or be ingested. If you suspect your cat has been poisoned, seek vet treatment immediately and if possible, bring a sample of the chemical you think may be involved. Avoid using such chemicals in your own garden, as cats enjoy eating grass as a digestive aid, and can accidentally ingest harmful garden chemicals.

• White and pale cats are susceptible to sunburn on their ears and nose, which could lead to skin cancer. Apply a non-toxic, fragrance-free suncream to these areas. If in doubt, ask your vet for recommendations as a cat’s instinct is to lick anything off his nose, so be sure you’re using a non-toxic product.

• Insect stings are not uncommon in cats and usually end up on their paws or face.

Remove the sting and apply ice to reduce swelling. Seek vet treatment if you suspect your cat has been stung in the mouth or throat, as swelling can occur obstructing the cat’s breathing.

• On very hot days, try to keep your cat indoors during the hottest hours of the day. Drape a cold, damp paper towel over your cat if he seems in discomfort due to the hot weather.

• Know the signs of heat stroke: panting, restlessness, staggering, vomiting and very red gums. Seek vet treatment immediately if you suspect heat stroke.

• Beware of antifreeze! Even in the summer, this toxic substance is a risk to cats as cars can overheat and leak antifreeze. If you suspect your cat has ingested antifreeze, seek vet treatment immediately. www.themayhew.org

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Let your love for animals live on More than a third of The Mayhew’s work is presently funded by gifts left in wills, also known as legacies or bequests. This money is vital to the future of our organisation and our proactive work against animal cruelty and neglect.

It costs a lot of money to keep a rescue charity operating and the figure is around £3400 for The Mayhew to be able to open our doors each day and help the countless innocent animals suffering in today’s society. Money raised through our fundraising activities is vital to enable us to continue our work but we simply wouldn’t be able to carry on year on year if it wasn’t for gifts left in wills.

Many people can find the subject overwhelming

How £5,000 helped our dogs this year The Mayhew welcomes visitors not only from the UK, but from around the world so we can share best practices for animal welfare in a rescue environment. As a relatively small rescue centre rehoming hundreds of animals each year we are committed to ensuring our facilities are of the highest standard to keep our animals safe and warm and reduce the spread of any infection or disease.

The kennel floor in one of our blocks was in desperate need of refurbishment after it had started to breakdown over time making it more difficult to clean and therefore risking an unhygienic environment. Legacy funds have 16

The Mayhew

but giving a gift to help The Mayhew saves animals like the ones you can read about in our magazine and it need not be confusing.

We have a website section which gives people all the information they need and you can call us on 020 8968 2353 to talk through how leaving a bequest to our charity helps and how to set that up. www.themayhew.org/donateinyourwill

contributed towards the money needed to replace the floor in April this year with new resin technology meaning it is much easier to clean and dry. £2,000 of the £5,000 needed to complete the refurbishment came from a generous donation via the estate of Jean Hill in honour of her fondness for dogs.

The executor of Jean’s Will explains why giving money to help rescue dogs meant so much to Jean; “One of our dogs, Cassie came to live with us 15 years ago from Battersea and only a few months later we decided to welcome another dog into our home from The Mayhew. His name was Jack and he was only 10 weeks old and so tiny!”

“Jean always loved animals and children and 12 years ago she noticed me walking Jack and Cassie in the neighbourhood and would often join us on Paddington Recreation Ground.

Jean made many friends with other dogs in the park and we also became good friends and she would stay in my flat to keep them company when I had to go to work.

Unfortunately, through deteriorating health, Jean wasn’t able to continue walking with us in the park, however we stayed in close touch and she adopted us as her family. Over the years, Jack and Cassie have dragged me across the road at every opportunity to climb the three flights of stairs to the top floor to see Jean. She would always get them excited with specially bought treats which could be anything from ham slices to lamb chops.

Every Christmas Jean would donate money to the Mayhew Animal Home as this is where Jack came from. Both Jack and Cassie loved Jean as much as she loved them and that is why the bequest is so fitting as she cared so deeply for dogs.”

“It is not only the upkeep of our facilities that has benefited from legacies left to us. Generous bequests have enabled us to provide 24-hour care and veterinary provision to the thousands of animals that need our help every year. Although many of us may not like drawing up a will for a number of reasons, they are a lifeline for many charities, not least The Mayhew. We certainly could not do a lot of what we do, without the legacy funds that come our way from animal lovers and supporters. We are most grateful to those that go on to save an animal’s life having completed their own.”

Caroline Yates CEO, The Mayhew Animal Home

If you wish to request an information pack about how legacy bequests will go directly to helping our animals please contact Kate Ferrie on 020 8968 2353 or write to: The Mayhew Animal Home, Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green, London NW10 6BJ www.themayhew.org

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Safety takes seconds

What’s on Whether you are looking for a fun day out or a get-fit challenge there are plenty of ways to support The Mayhew in the coming months.

As part of The Mayhew’s Pet Health Awareness Month (see p.5) we will be highlighting the importance of microchipping; an action that can save lives and alleviates anxiety for owners.

There are many things a pet owner is required to do in order to keep their pets safe, healthy and happy.

Not all of them are complex and each and every one is an owner’s responsibility for their animal, to whom they owe a healthy and pain-free life in their care.

Microchipping is just one element of this package of requirements and is quick, simple and painless – the safest way to increase the chances of being reunited if your pet is lost.

Thousands of cats and dogs are lost each year in the UK and many are never reunited with their owners as they have no permanent identification.

Microchipping takes seconds. A small chip – the size of a grain of rice – is implanted between the shoulder blades with a unique number on it. This procedure will take place with them fully awake and is very similar to giving an injection, so cats, dogs – and even rabbits – tolerate it incredibly well. The

Only 12% of the total canine strays were able to be safely reunited despite a microchip taking less than a minute to implant. unique microchip number is then stored on a central database with your name, address and contact details attached. For further peace of mind, the general public are unable to access this confidential database, only registered organisations with the necessary security clearance. Details must be updated, however, in the case of a moving house as if the address does not match the microchip then animal welfare workers do not have another avenue to try and reunite pet and owner.

In 2013 to date (end of March) The Mayhew has 18

The Mayhew

Gaucho hosts charity lunch Sunday 2nd June 12–4pm Gaucho Hampstead 64 Heath Street London NW3 1DN £35 per person taken in 33 stray dogs and only six were microchipped. Out of those six, only four had the correct information so we could contact their owners and reunite them. This means only 12% of the total canine strays were able to be safely reunited despite a microchip taking less than a minute to implant and our Animal Welfare Officers providing many opportunities at local events for free microchipping.

The number of stray cats without microchips has been dramatically higher so far this year. Only nine cats were chipped from the 120 taken in from owners no longer wishing to keep them, and only six chipped from a total of 77 arriving as strays. Only two cats from the six microchipped were able to be returned to their owner.

Book a microchipping appointment with us on 020 8968 2447.

Gaucho Hampstead will be hosting a dog friendly lunch in aid of The Mayhew Animal Home. Lunch includes a glass of Champagne, a three course dinner for the humans and treats for the positively pampered pooches! Gaucho will be donating £5 per doggy diner to our charity and you are guaranteed to leave with a happy hound and a ‘doggy done goody’ bag. For more information please contact Jorge on jorge.coelho@gauchorestaurants.com.

The British 10K London Run Sunday 14th July 2013 Central London This will be a truly fantastic day for The Mayhew and our 36 fabulous runners! This route is said to be the best 10k route in the world and last year helped us raise over £20,000.

We are still looking for runners to take part, so if you’re interested in doing something sporty and special for our homeless cats, dogs and rabbits, please get in touch! You can also help by coming down on the day to cheer on Team Mayhew.

For more information about all these events, visit www.themayhew.org/events, or contact Lisa Houlihan on 020 8968 2445 or events@mayhewanimalhome.org

The Mayhew Open Day Sunday 21st July12-5pm The Mayhew Animal Home, Trenmar Gardens The Mayhew’s famous Open Day is back. After a break in 2012, our Open Day returns and promises to be bigger and better than ever!

Come on down to soak up the festival atmosphere as we close down the street outside our rescue centre to make room for the party! There will be entertainment, games, children’s activities, Mayhew merchandise and a range of exciting stalls. You can purchase delicious cakes and jams, funky gemstone jewellery, homemade dog treats and enjoy a tasty veggie BBQ. Children and adults will have plenty to do for the whole day including a coconut shy, bouncy castle, face painting, vet demos and our heart-warming ‘Happily Homed’ parade of dogs.

Come on down for a fun filled day you wouldn’t want to miss!

www.themayhew.org

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Find me a home

Adopting an animal from The Mayhew

Featured on this page are a few of our present residents. All of them have been with us for some time and desperately need a home of their own. They each have their own delightful quirks and may need more understanding than others.

If you would like to enquire about adopting any one of our dogs, cats or rabbits please call 020 8969 0178.

You can also email matthew@mayhewanimalhome.org for cats and rabbits and lisa@mayhewanimalhome.org about dogs.

Nigel

Bryan

Storm

Miso and Sushi

Trilby

Tiggs

Candy

Dusty

Remee

Charlie

Meeka

Gabby

For some reason I am The Mayhew’s longest stayer, even though everyone tells me what a fabulous little chap I am. Perhaps it is because I am a bit older but I don’t see why as, although I am 12, I feel as fit as a dog half my age! If you come and visit me I’ll show you just what a sprightly boy I am and I’ll even throw in a few cuddles for good measure!

Hello! Do you, like me, love a good run about and a play in the park? I have just come to The Mayhew from a puppy farm and am itching to get out and about and enjoy the great outdoors. My tail would probably wag right off in happiness if you came to see me and wanted to take me home.

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The Mayhew

I just can’t wait to meet you as making new friends is my absolute favourite thing to do! I love a dash about in the park and my Mayhew chums say my recall is rather good.

I’m only a young chap so I would love a home where there is an equal match for my bouncy enthusiasm for life

I’m one of the youngest residents at The Mayhew at the moment after I arrived with my three other siblings.

I want more than anything to find a home of my own where you can teach me about all the fun family life has to offer. I can’t wait to experience new adventures and I promise I will be your perfect pal.

I’m having a smashing time at the moment in a Mayhew foster home but it would make me truly happy if I could find a forever family to call my own. Don’t let my age fool you as. although I am nine, I am still full of beans and zest for life and I just love to play with my toys and run around the park with some canine chums.

When people meet me they often seem to exclaim at what a distinctive looking cat I am and I can assure you that it isn’t just looks that make me unique. You’ll never have had a pal like me and I will do everything to become your firmest friend. I do love a good old gossip so if you are a chatterbox too then please come and say Hello!

Me and my sister, Sushi, have been waiting and hoping the day will come soon when we can settle into a new home of our own. After our owner died we have been feeling a bit lost and confused and we dream of a time where we can be settled and secure and share all our love with you.

All I want in life is for a perfect pal or two to share all the love and cuddles I have to give, and I have a lot! When I get visitors to my cat cabin I invite them in for a purr party and I adore a lap to snuggle up on. I had a horrible time before The Mayhew when some people decide to kick me around so I’d be over the moon if I could go home to a safe home with you.

I’m an affectionate and loving lad who is currently spending time in a Mayhew foster home but still dreaming of a forever family. I love to cosy up on a warm knee and share my affection and happy paws.

After being rescued by one of The Mayhew’s Animal Welfare Officers, I am now ready to start a new chapter in my life. The best thing that could happen to me would be to find a forever home in a lovely quiet pad with a new friend that I can share with all my affection.

After my owner died I came to live at The Mayhew and, although I have made a lot of new pals, I so very much dream for a perfect pal to come and take me home. I’m a slightly older chap so am looking for a laid back life but I would happily share with another cat if they had a similar relaxed attitude to me.

I am currently having a delightful time in a Mayhew foster home but I still dream of a life with a family I can call all my own forever. I’m not asking for much, just a cosy bed, some love and cuddles and maybe a treat from time to time! I would love it if you would think about coming to meet me.

www.themayhew.org

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Letters

We absolutely love to hear from you, so if you have anything to share please get in touch by writing to The Mayhew Animal Home, Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green, London NW10 6BJ or email sarah@mayhewanimalhome.org

Dear Mayhew,

Dear Mayhew,

Her are some photos (right) of “Frank on tour’ and his passport picture. He’s the best advert for staffies imaginable and we absolutely adore him. Where we live he’s become very well-liked and hopefully changed people’s minds about staffies.

He got a great reception in France and Italy and was greatly admired but they’re not as paranoid about bull breeds as we seem to be in the UK and dogs are welcome in most places. On the drive down to Italy I didn’t book any hotels, just turned up when I was ready to stop driving, and every hotel accepted a dog without question. And it was the same in restaurants – we didn’t need to sit outside and even in quite upmarket places a dog was welcome.

I took Frank on the Eurotunnel so we just sat in the car for the journey and he was strapped in through his body harness riding shotgun on the front passenger seat for the whole journey. Throughout all the driving he either slept or looked out of the window, not once complaining.

He lives happily with our rescue cat Douglas and now and then I find them curled up asleep together.

We now have five Mayhew cats; Moonlight and Starlight who are both 15 years old and were adopted at eight weeks old, Midnight who is eight years old and finally Summer and Dexter who are brother and sister and were three months old when we adopted them about a month ago.

Summer and Dexter have settled very well and are now making good use of the garden which they love – as yet they have not quite worked out the cat flap so they are only able to go out when someone is at home and we can prop the cat flap open. I’m sure it won’t be long until they get the idea though.

In only a month, they have increased considerably in size – from being a compact single handful together, they are now almost too big to hold comfortably together with both hands. They love cardboard boxes and tubes as well as paper so our house always looks as if a bomb has just hit it.

Very Best Wishes Hilary

Dear Mayhew, I thought you would like to see this photo of Daisy (left), who we adopted in June 2010, with her brothers Ozzy and Zac, playing with her favourite toy, a ball!

As you can see she is thriving and is a wonderful addition to our family, full of personality!

Best wishes Jan

Life is never dull with a couple of lively kittens although it occasionally goes quiet if they both crash at the same time, usually on the keyboard or mouse of a convenient computer!

Many thanks Ann Haines

Part of the Team Paul Grimes joined The Mayhew as an Animal Welfare Officer in July last year and has been kept very busy doing different welfare work from one week to the next.

With over ten years’ experience working in the animal welfare and veterinary sector, Paul wished to join The Mayhew “because of its long standing reputation in caring for, helping and rehoming animals, and because of the work they do in the community across London.”

The previous years spent rehoming smaller companion animals and caring for ones needing intensive vet treatment had prepared Paul for life as a Mayhew Animal Welfare Officer (AWO), but can there ever really be a typical week where an AWO will know what their working schedule will be like?

“Every day is different, which is one of the reasons why I enjoy my job. A typical week would be a combination of trapping colonies of feral cats, bringing them to our vet clinic to be spayed and castrated, then returning them to their initial habitat. I also respond to welfare

concerns for animals such as dogs chained up in the garden with no shelter, pregnant stray cats giving birth in people’s sheds, to animals which have been left behind in houses after the owners have moved away.”

It isn’t just animals that Paul spends his time helping on a daily basis, as the work of an AWO is as much about people as it is about the animals.

“My colleague and I visit a number of homeless hostels regularly, giving the homeless pet owners bags of dog food, collars and leads and arranging vet appointments if needed. We additionally visit a number of schools and scout groups giving talks on Responsible Pet Ownership and How to be Safe Around Dogs, as education on this matter is vital; there are many grown adults who simply do not have a clue on how to care for their animals responsibly. Therefore, some days, I could find myself on a fourth storey rooftop trapping feral cats in the morning, then in the afternoon I could be giving a talk in a school to the children. I enjoy this variety and find my work very rewarding.”

The positive achievements of animal welfare work are no doubt gratifying, but it is a role which means also seeing the worst side of animal ownership.

“The toughest part of my job is dealing with people who will not take responsibility for their actions. I recently dealt with a case where an irresponsible owner did not get her cat spayed and watched as she became pregnant and gave birth to a litter of kittens. She then subsequently sat back and did nothing as the kittens grew up into adult cats, become pregnant and gave birth, watched that litter of kittens grow up, and then watched the son cats mate with the mother cats, and the father cats mate with the daughter cats, still not thinking to approach anyone for help. She

watched the inbred kittens be born, grow up and become pregnant and by the time a concerned neighbour notified us, there were over 20 cats, half of which were inbred. And the owner’s response to my query why she hadn’t sought to neuter her cats? ‘It wasn’t my fault; there was a stray cat in the area that got my cat pregnant’.”

After witnessing the highs and lows of animal welfare work, Paul is keen to spread the message he values of utmost importance to try to improve the lives of our animals in the UK. “Without a shadow of doubt, it has to be getting your cats neutered. People do not realise how quickly things can spiral out of control. You may have a lovely friendly cat who is perfect in every way, but if you do not get her spayed and she becomes pregnant and gives birth in an abandoned garden shed how are you going to know where the kittens are? The kittens will grow up not having any human contact, and by the time they are able to walk around the garden, they will have never been touched by a human and are feral. They then naturally run away as soon as a human tries to go near them, and they grow up living feral (wild), become pregnant and have kittens of their own which are also feral, and this is how a feral colony of 20 cats is started all because somebody postponed getting their pet cat spayed.”

You can find out more about Pauls’ work and the projects run by the Animal Welfare team by visiting: www.themayhew.org/ communityprojects

www.themayhew.org

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10am-5pm Sunday 9th June 2013 A truly PETtacular fun day for all the family Hyde Park, The Cockpit, Serpentine Road in front of The Serpentine, near the Boathouse • Celebrity judged dog show 10am-3.15pm, just £3 per category

to enter, registration from 9am • Sponsored 5km dog walk around the Serpentine

starting at 4.15pm, registration from 12pm or online at themayhew.org/hydebarkwalk • Mayhew Happily Homed Parade • Entertainment and external stalls selling doggy

treats, fashion, collars, cupcakes… and much more • Mayhew merchandise, t-shirts, jams, plants • Fun agility, Temptation Alley, Pooch Portraits • Vet demonstrations, pet behaviour advice and Q&A

with our Mayhew vets and Animal Welfare Officers • Kids activities, facepainting and crafts

• Book signing with the Barking blondes and surprise guests

Find out more!

Call 020 8968 2445, visit themayhew.org/hydebark or email events@mayhewanimalhome.org Trenmar Gardens, London NW10 6BJ Registered Charity No. 1077588