The Mayhew Magazine Autumn / Winter 2016

The Mayhew Autumn/Winter 2016

Helping animals and their carers since 1886

A day in the life of our kennels Tackling the kitten crisis Dealing with FIV

Issue 46

Mill Lane Veterinary Surgery Advanced medical care for your pets

Proud to support The Mayhew Animal Home

Welcome

The nights are drawing in so what better time to settle down on the sofa and have a good old catch-up with The Mayhew! In this issue you can have a sneak-peak into our kennels, read about how we’ve been tackling the kitten crisis over the summer as well as find out what Gordon the deaf Staffie has been up to since he was adopted from The Mayhew. We’ve also included our Christmas Catalogue and it’s crammed full of pawfect gifts for both your four-legged and two-legged friends and family. From all of us at The Mayhew, we wish you a very Happy Christmas!

Contents Joshua Rusnak BVSc CertSAS MRCVS 68-70 Mill Lane, London NW6 1NJ www.mill-lane-vet.com

020 7794 1777

Microchipping is now compulsory for dogs in England

News 4 A day in the life of our kennels 6 Our volunteers 10 Tackling the kitten crisis 12 Find me a home 14 Gordon – a year on 16 Ask the expert 18 Therapaws – how the magic happens 20 Summer events round-up 22 Your letters: adopted & loved 24 My rescue and me 26 Sponsored walk Back cover

What we do:

Tuesday 6th December 2016 Starting at 7pm To purchase your tickets call 0208 206 5872 visit: www.themayhew.org/tinselandtails or email: events@mayhewanimalhome.org The Mayhew Animal Home, Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green, London NW10 6BJ www.themayhew.org Registered Charity No 1077588

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The Mayhew _ Autumn/Winter 2016

We help animals in need gain a better quality of life by delivering a broad range of preventative and community-based animal care, education and welfare projects

Don’t let your pet get lost –get them microchipped The Mayhew offers low-cost microchipping.

Contact our Vet Clinic now to make an appointment:

020 8962 8017 vetclinic@mayhewanimalhome.org www.themayhew.org/microchipping

Many thanks to our photographers: Bonnie Baker (for the front cover image and more), Rowan Williams (www.rophotographs.com), Mina Milanovic, Jo Moolenschot, Fernando Bonenfant, Alissa Johnson, Kriszti Nagy.

To make a donation or to get in touch Write to: The Mayhew Animal Home Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green, London, NW10 6BJ Telephone: 0 20 8206 5870 Email: support@mayhewanimalhome.org

Please pass on to a friend and recycle after reading.

Visit: www.themayhew.org

Printed on 100% recycled paper

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Registered charity no. 1077588 Registered in England and Wales Company limited by guarantee no. 3837732 VAT registration number: 820 4030 87

Follow us on Twitter @themayhew

News update Animal Heroes We are delighted to announce that TheraPaws, our visiting pet therapy programme, has been nominated for this year’s Animal Hero Awards’ Special Recognition Award. The Daily Mirror’s Animal Hero Awards recognise and celebrate the most inspiring examples of bravery, dedication and resilience in the animal world. To be nominated is a tremendous accolade and recognition for TheraPaws which takes volunteers and their dogs into hospitals, hospices, care homes and day centres across North and West London to engage with older people and encourage social interaction to promote emotional and physical wellbeing.

Tackling the animal overpopulation crisis in Brent Our Animal Welfare Officers are continuously striving to combat the cat and dog overpopulation crisis in the UK. We recently teamed up with Brent Housing Partnership to offer our veterinary services for their new policy that legally requires all Brent Housing Authority residents to neuter and microchip their pets. This is a huge step in the right direction for the borough of Brent and hopefully something that will be carried out in other boroughs of London in the near future. To help the Brent residents comply with the new policy, The Mayhew is 4

The Mayhew _ Summer 2016

The winners will be announced in a special ceremony, hosted by actress and presenter Amanda Holden, on September 7th in central London.

Please keep all of your fingers and paws crossed for us!

The Mayhew awarded £10,000 grant for kennels refurbishment!

We were absolutely delighted to be awarded a £10,000 grant from Pedigree recently so that we can refurbish our dog kennels and further improve the environment in which our dogs stay.

The refurbishment works are planned for later this year and will allow us to modernise and refurbish our dog kennels to make them even more comfortable and welcoming to the many abandoned and neglected dogs that come through our doors.

Thank you Pedigree!

Could you find double love at The Mayhew? offering free and low-cost neutering and microchipping appointments in our Community Vet Clinic. Please contact us on 020 8962 8000 or awo@mayhewanimalhome.org for more information.

At The Mayhew we are all about trying to find the right match for our animals as well as promoting good deeds, so when Good Deed Dating asked us to join forces, it seemed like the purrfect partnership! This social enterprise, which recently launched in London as part of National Volunteers Week, is pioneering a whole new approach to dating by coordinating volunteering events for single people. They can take a fun and proactive role in shaping their relationships through engaging with their communities. So far we’ve held two dating events at The Mayhew where participants have come along to socialise with our cats, giving them some well-deserved cuddles, at the www.themayhew.org

same time as meeting like-minded single people in London. So if you’re looking for love and interested in volunteering with our animals, then keep an eye on www.gooddeeddating. co.uk for our next event. Who knows, you might just find your true love, both human and animal!

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A day in the life… of our kennels

Every kennel is equipped with plenty of toys and blankets, as well as a TV or radio to provide a homely environment. We have heating to keep our pooches cosy in winter and air conditioning to keep them nice and cool during the summer.

Our kennels can house up to 30 dogs and puppies at one time and is always the liveliest place at The Mayhew and you are met with a delightful chorus of woofs when you enter! Read on to find out what a typical day in our kennels looks like.

Then it’s the best part of the day… park time! We take the dogs to nearby Wormwood Scrubs for a long play and run about. We use extra-long leads so the dogs can have the freedom to run about, but we can easily grab the lead if they go a bit too far.

Day staff arrive first thing in the morning for breakfast to feed the hungry mouths. Once the food has settled, each dog is taken for their first walk of the day.

Our kennels staff are trained animal behaviourists and all dogs at The Mayhew go through extensive assessments so that we can ascertain what kind of dog they are and what sort of home they would suit.

Assessments are done at the park where we can see how they respond to other dogs and humans, and also back at Mayhew HQ.

While the dogs are being walked, it’s time to clean! Each kennel is thoroughly scrubbed down so the dogs have a nice fresh kennel every day, although we only change the bedding when necessary so the kennel still has some nice familiar smells for its resident when they return from their walk.

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The Mayhew _ Summer 2016

www.themayhew.org

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Our dogs are also undergoing continuous training while in our care so that they are best prepared for their new homes.

Our Adoption Officers spend a lot of time matching the right dog to the right owner to make sure they are 100% right for each other.

The dogs are walked several times throughout the day so they get plenty of exercise. We also spend time with each dog every day giving them lots of love and affection that they need.

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The Mayhew _ Autumn/Winter 2016

Photograph Bonnie Baker

We have created a special outdoor space for our dogs at The Mayhew called the Sensory Garden. The garden has lots of different smells, sounds and textures for our dogs to engage with to help reduce any stress or anxiety and provide additional stimulation and enrichment.

After a busy day of feeding, walking, cleaning, playing and cuddling, our night staff arrive to watch over the kennels. The dogs are walked and played with throughout the evening before they settle down for a good night’s sleep.

To find out more about our vet clinic services call 020 8962 8017 or visit www.themayhew.org/vet-clinic

www.themayhew.org

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Our volunteers Our volunteer foster carers make a real difference to the lives of some of our cats and dogs that don’t cope well in a shelter environment. We’ve caught up with two of them, Andie Stephany and Tony Kay, to find out why they love being foster carers for The Mayhew.

Andie Stephany – Cat foster carer How did you first hear about The Mayhew?

I’ve always done voluntary work for animal charities but wanted one closer to home. I came across The Mayhew through looking charities up on Facebook. I’m so pleased I did as I love volunteering there!

When did you first start volunteering with The Mayhew?

I started early in 2015.

What made you want to get involved?

I’ve grown up with animals and I always felt a very close affinity with them.

Over the years they’ve given me so much joy and happiness and I felt I needed to give some back. Fostering is the perfect way to do this.

less of an adjustment period for them.

Magnum is FIV+ so he needs to be an indoor cat (or live in a 100% escape proof garden) and the only cat in the home. I would love to keep him, but then there’d be one less foster space for another cat. I also come into the Cattery whenever I can and I sit with the cats, play with them and generally socialise with them.

What do you like most about volunteering at The Mayhew?

I get a huge amount of pleasure and satisfaction by making a difference to the lives of the Mayhew kitties.

Anything else you’d like to tell us?

I would recommend fostering to anyone. It’s hard to say goodbye to them, but they only go to good homes and I’ve stayed in touch with both my When volunteering for us, tell us about previous foster cats’ new families. what kind of things you get up to?

I am currently fostering the gorgeous, cuddly Magnum and I’m totally in love If you’re interested in adopting with him! He’s my third Mayhew foster Magnum you can find out more cat. Some cats don’t cope well in the about him at www.themayhew.org/ Cattery, and it’s much nicer and calmer magnum. for them to live in a home environment while they wait to be adopted as there’s 10

The Mayhew _ Autumn/Winter 2016

Tony Kay – Dog foster carer How did you first hear about The Mayhew?

A few months after I had to say goodbye to Busby, my 15 year old German Pointer, I started to think about getting another dog. However, I wasn’t able to commit to another 15 years of ownership due to my job. My neighbour mentioned The of them and sometimes it was sad to say Mayhew and suggested I contact them goodbye, but I was always happy to think about fostering. I looked at the details online and then went to visit The Home of them in their new homes. to talk about it.

What do you like most about volunteering at The Mayhew?

When did you first start It’s been such an experience caring for volunteering with The Mayhew? the different types of dogs. I’ve learnt a In March 2014 I took in my first fosterhuge amount about training and caring dog, a lovely Staffie called Monkey. for dogs and realised that most of my This summer I fostered Kira who is now rehomed. In between I’ve had four preconceptions about certain breeds were nonsense. other Staffies, two Huskies, a German Shepherd and an English Mastiff.

Anything else you’d like to tell us?

What made you want to get involved? I would wholeheartedly recommend fostering. Though it is hard work, I know there are so many abandoned and stray animals out there that charities whatever I’ve put in has been returned ten-fold in the fun and pleasure of having like The Mayhew will always need a wonderful dog as a temporary lodger. support. Being self-employed I don’t always have the finances to donate, but I’d like to thank everyone at The Mayhew for giving me the opportunity to look since I am in charge of my own diary, after the dogs. what I can do is give my time.

When volunteering for us, tell us about what kind of things you get up to?

The time each dog has spent in my home has varied from four days to three months.

The Huskies were a bit more work than the others as they needed constant exercise and mental stimulation. The Staffies were all great fun, such characters and so affectionate. I built bonds with all www.themayhew.org

We desperately need new volunteer foster carers. To find out more, visit www.themayhew.org/foster or to find out about our other volunteering opportunities, visit www.themayhew.org/volunteering

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Tackling the kitten crisis Earlier this year we launched our Kitten Season Campaign to shine a spotlight on the problem of millions of unwanted kittens that are born, adding to the overpopulation of cats, and the solutions as to how this can be combated. Read on to find out more and how you can help.

Kitten season typically runs from early Spring right up until Autumn, but over the last few years it has actually run all year round. Here at The Mayhew we cared for hundreds of homeless kittens during the peak season in 2016, but we also rescue many abandoned kittens during the colder months as well. We are working hard to tackle the crisis by trying to control the number of unwanted kittens being born in the first place through our neutering initiatives.

Did you know that cats can get pregnant from four months of age, when they are kittens themselves, and 78% of feline pregnancies are unwanted? One cat can have up to six kittens and potentially four litters per year. This means that in just one year a cat could produce 34 more cats. Then the next year on average there could be a total of 240 cats, followed by 1746 a year later. The number of cats soon spirals out of control with the figure increasing each year from 12,701 in year four to an astonishing 92,394 in year five. All from just one cat.

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The Mayhew _ Autumn/Winter 2016

How You Can Help It’s easy – neuter your cat! Neutering offers a humane and permanent solution to unwanted litters and the chronic overpopulation of cats in this country. Not only does neutering improve your pets’ health by reducing or eliminating risks of certain cancers and other diseases, your pet is also less likely to develop unwanted behaviours such as roaming and fighting with other cats.

But isn’t neutering expensive?

As part of the C4 Scheme we also offer affordable and low cost neutering at our Vet Clinic from the age of 8-9 weeks.

The operation is relatively straightforward and most animals will be in and out within one day.

We also offer free neutering for cats within the M25 area whose owners receive certain state benefits, are on a low income or are students.

In addition, our Pick & Snip neutering scheme for cats is to encourage people who have proven reluctant to neuter their cats due to cost, disability, apathy

or transport availability. We collect cats, bring them to our clinic for neutering and return them. This service is free or very low-cost.

Our Animal Welfare Officers also run a Trap Neuter Return (TNR) programme for feral cats and kittens. We neuter and re-release the adult cats back to their colony location, providing the area is suitable and a safe environment for them. If litters of kittens under 8 weeks old are brought in, then in the majority of cases the litter will remain at The Mayhew to be socialised and then put up for adoption.

There are many cat colonies in London and you can help us by alerting us if you become aware of a feral cat colony in your area. www.themayhew.org

If you’re concerned about populations of cats in your area, please call our Animal Welfare Officers on 020 8962 8000.

To find out more about neutering and to book an appointment at our Vet Clinic for your pet, please visit www.themayhew.org/neutering or call 020 8962 8017.

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Find me a home Here are just some of the lovely cats and dogs patiently waiting at The Mayhew for their forever home. Please help us to find their new families.

Chester: 4 years old (male) Breed: Great Dane & Bullmastiff cross Likes: Meeting new people and getting plenty of exercise Essentials: I would like a rural or semi-rural home. I am also looking for a foster carer in the meantime.

P out lease pu pin-bo and displayll ar o whered or in a wi n a ndow lots of pe will se e me! ople Hope help, o fully, with u y will be r forever h our om found sooner es !

Hugo: 3 years old (male) Likes: Rubbing my cheeks on everything, including other faces!

Essentials: I arrived with an abscess on my cheek but it is all healed now.

Kitty: 10 years old (female) Likes: Giving out gentle head butts Essentials: I love getting lots of fuss and affection and I even like being brushed.

Misty: 10 years old (female) Likes: Sitting on laps and playing with my toy mouse Essentials: I have an inflammatory response in my lip tissue but this doesn’t cause me any problems, it just adds to my beauty!

Tommy: 8 years old (male) Likes: Cuddles and purring Essentials: I’ve had most of my teeth removed due to stomatitis but this is now on the mend and The Mayhew can help with costs incurred.

Jasper: 6 years old (male) Breed: Jack Russell Terrier Likes: Sitting on laps, chasing squirrels and car trips Essentials: I will need to be the only pet in my new home.

To find out more about these animals and other Mayhew residents please visit: Prince: 4 years old (male) Breed: American Akita Likes: Cuddles and playing with my toys Essentials: Like Chester, I would also like a rural or semi-rural home.

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The Mayhew _ Autumn/Winter 2016

Wispa: 2 years old (male) Breed: Lurcher Likes: Having my belly rubbed Essentials: I’m looking for an adult-only home as I can be a little nervous of strangers.

Cats: www.themayhew.org/cats Dogs: www.themayhew.org/dogs Or telephone: 020 8962 8000

www.themayhew.org

You can help us rescue more dogs and cats and find them loving homes by making a donation: www.themayhew.org/donate

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A year in the life of Gordon Gordon the deaf Staffie was one of our longest staying residents at The Mayhew last year at ten months. We’ve caught up with him and his new owners, one year after being adopted…

Two-year-old Gordon was found abandoned, scared and confused on the streets of Brent in November 2014.

The Mayhew kennels team first noticed something different about Gordon when they went into his kennel in the morning and he wouldn’t wake up as he didn’t hear them come in; he would only open his eyes when stroked. After having a thorough assessment with our vets he was diagnosed as completely deaf.

We were determined to help him and Gordon quickly picked up commands by body language, hand signals and reading faces. We taught him various commands such as sit and stay and the training made him more focused, less frustrated and he found it easier to bond with people. Our kennels team really went the extra mile spending hours with Gordon teaching him new skills and urging him to use his other senses to compensate for his lack of hearing.

They wanted to equip him with new ways of communicating with people so he wouldn’t be left behind.

After nine months of being overlooked by adopters, Gordon was finally noticed

by Josanne and Richard who came to see him. And the rest, as they say, is 16

The Mayhew _ Autumn/Winter 2016

history! The animal-loving couple have dedicated their time to Gordon and through reward-based training he has learnt lots of new skills and commands.

He can even high five and speak on command!

Over the last year Gordon has had many adventures with his new owners and has visited lots of exciting places.

His first holiday was to the Cotswolds where they went on lots of long walks, snoozed in front of log fires and stayed in some lovely dog-friendly accommodation. He also spent a week in Scotland at the start of this year where he got to explore lots of hiking trails, lochs and even climbed Arthur’s Seat and saw Edinburgh Castle.

Gordon also had a busy old time at Christmas with lots of parties to attend!

There were plenty of games at his doggy training school party where he was awarded a very special ‘Greatest Achievement Award’ for doing so well in his training classes, despite being the only deaf dog in the class. And to top it off, Gordon and Richard won the Best Trick Competition for barking on command – not a mean feat for a pooch who can’t hear himself bark!

Above: Gordon learning sign language at The Mayhew.

Above: Gordon at Edinburgh Castle

Above: Gordon and Mookie at Devil’s Dyke.

Above: Gordon Sleeping on Mookie

He’s also come back to visit his old friends at The Mayhew over the year and has been a star guest at our Tinsel & Tails Christmas gala and our recent summer events, Open Day and Hounds on the Heath. Can you guess what category Gordon won in the Dog Show at Hounds on the Heath? Sweetest Staffie of course! Everyone from The Mayhew was delighted to see him take his turn in the Happily Rehomed Parade and show how much he’s learnt in the past year and is enjoying his new life with Josanne and Richard.

It’s been an eventful year for young Gordon but we think he would tell you that one of the best things that’s

happened is that he now has a new Staffie playmate at home. Josanne and Richard adopted Mookie from a shelter in Bristol in May and the two dogs get on like a house on fire. They love to play tug-of-war, wrestle and chase each other in the park.

A big heartfelt hurrah for Gordon and his wonderful new family!

www.themayhew.org

If you’d like to give a homeless dog in desperate need of a loving family a home, visit www.themayhew.org/dogs

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Ask the expert The Mayhew’s Chief Vet, Dr Ursula Goetz, MRCVS, GPCert (SAS) explains what Feline Immunodeficiency virus is and how you can help prevent it spreading among the UK cat population.

Q. What is FIV?

Q. What are the symptoms?

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is a viral infection in cats, usually present in the saliva. It infects cells of the immune system, killing or damaging them, so they can’t perform their usual functions.

Once infected, the cat will have the virus for life. To begin with the infection can cause mild signs of disease so it may go unnoticed. Infected cats can often live a good quality and healthy life, however after several years (average 2-5years) the virus will severely weaken the immune system and cause the cat to be more susceptible to other infections and diseases.

The virus can cause many different symptoms and can affect all parts of the body, from losing weight to brain damage.

Symptoms include: • Weight loss and poor appetite • Diarrhoea • Recurrent fever • Lethargy • Enlarged lymph nodes • Inflammation of the gums and mouth • Wounds that don’t heal • Chronic skin disease or hair loss • Chronic or recurrent respiratory, ocular (eyes) and intestinal disease • Neurological disease

Q. How is it spread?

Q. Is it treatable?

FIV is usually spread through saliva from a bite wound from an infected cat. It is most common in areas where cats are living in a stressful environment such as overcrowded conditions where the likelihood of cat fights is higher. It is about twice as common in male cats as female, especially those that are unneutered, and it usually occurs around the ages of 5-10 years.

Unfortunately, the virus is permanent and there is no specific treatment or cure. If you suspect your cat has FIV take them to your vet immediately. Be prepared to list any symptoms you have noticed and the vet will perform a blood test to make a diagnosis.

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The Mayhew _ Autumn/Winter 2016

Q. Can it be managed?

Many cats with FIV are able to live for

Above: Magnum wants you to adopt him!

years without any signs of disease.

However, the main thing to remember is that the spread of the infection needs to be prevented as much as possible. If you have an FIV cat, you should keep them indoors or in an enclosed garden so they are not able to come into contact with other cats. Make sure you also get them neutered as this reduces the risk of fighting and feed them a nutritionally balanced diet. Don’t feed your cat any raw foods such as uncooked meat or eggs as the parasites and bacteria present could be dangerous for an infected cat. www.themayhew.org

Magnum, a large 3-year-old tomcat, arrived as a stray at The Mayhew recently with a nasty bite wound on his left front paw. He was not neutered and since he appeared to have been fighting, our vet team suspected he may be FIV+.

A quick blood test revealed this was the case. We patched him up, neutered and microchipped him and he is now patiently waiting to find his forever home. This lovable boy will need to be an indoor cat because of the virus but he will be able to live a long, happy life with the right owner.

If you could give Magnum a home, please contact Matt Pearson, our Cat Adoption Officer, today on 020 8962 8000 or at matthew@mayhewanimalhome.org

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How to be a

we comp ’ve lete thera d 585 paws visits far in so 2016

dream team TheraPaws is The Mayhew’s highly successful pet therapy programme where our dedicated volunteers take their dogs on regular visits to dementia and care homes, hospices and hospitals to encourage social interaction with the older residents and patients. It takes a special kind of person and an extra special dog to be a TheraPaws team. Read on to find out how the magic happens!

Step 1: Application The first step to volunteer on our TheraPaws programme is to apply online via www.themayhew.org/ therapaws. If the initial application is successful, we arrange for a dog assessment and interview.

Step 2: Dog assessment Every dog on TheraPaws goes through a temperament assessment to ensure they can withstand the demands of visiting the public. The assessment lasts for 30 minutes and is done by The Mayhew’s external dog behaviourist Kevin McNicholas and Luke Berman, TheraPaws Project Manager.

Throughout the assessment we try to enact situations that may occur when on a typical TheraPaws visit to see how the dog reacts, such as someone suddenly moving towards the dog or dropping items like a walking cane.

This allows us to see if the dog would cope in such an environment.

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The Mayhew _ Autumn/Winter 2016

We check for: • Willingness to interact with strangers • Reaction to strange objects and loud noises • Jerky hand movements • Good general obedience and ability to settle when attention is taken away • Jumping, pawing, licking • Being touched all over including tail, ears, paws and being groomed all over

Step 3: Interview If the dog successfully passes the assessment, then it’s the owner’s turn!

It is important to make sure that the applicant has the right skills to do the visits, not just the dog. The owner needs to be a confident speaker as they must be at ease talking to the residents about their dog and other topics. They also need to be comfortable being in places where people are unwell and have the patience to deal with elderly residents as well as being committed to the TheraPaws programme.

Above: Sam having his TheraPaws assessment.

Above: Sam ready for his first TheraPaws visit to Norton House in Westminster

If both pooch and human pass then they are invited to become a fullyfledged TheraPaws volunteer!

all volunteers on their first visit to ensure it goes smoothly and to offer support and advice. The volunteer is then ready for their weekly or fortnightly commitment to visit that centre and bring happiness wherever they go!

Step 4: Induction Before embarking on their first TheraPaws visit, new volunteers go through a two hour induction which includes the history of TheraPaws, how to conduct TheraPaws visits safely, how to maximise the affect they have on the people they are going to visit, how to communicate with people diagnosed with dementia, and information about The Mayhew and its activities. We also offer all our volunteers a tour of The Home which is always great fun.

Step 6: Onward support The Mayhew provides full support to all volunteers and are always on hand for help and advice if needed. Luke visits each team at least once every 6 months to check everything is going okay and to help keep the TheraPaws visits to a high standard. Volunteers are also asked to fill out a feedback form after each visit to reflect on what happened and raise any issues.

Step 5: First visit Once a suitable venue is agreed upon (most volunteers visit centres that are local to them), a pre-visit is made to ensure the centre is suitable and that the staff are keen and supportive of the TheraPaws visits. Luke accompanies www.themayhew.org

To make a donation or find out more about TheraPaws, call 020 8206 5870 or visit www.themayhew.org/therapaws

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Events News

Hounds on the Heath Hundreds of dog owners and their four-legged friends turned up to support Hounds on the Heath, our annual summer event previously known as Hyde Bark, on 10th July. It was a starstudded affair with our celebrity judges for the dog show showing their support and there was plenty of entertainment

The Mayhew organises and takes part in a wide range of events throughout the year helping to raise funds for the thousands of animals who pass through our doors!

Take a look at what we’ve been up to recently…

Photograph Bonnie Baker

Photograph Bonnie Baker

Photograph Bonnie Baker

cats in our cattery, enjoy the street entertainment, browse shopping stalls and play games. We even held a 130th birthday cake decorating competition!

The day was a fantastic success attracting over 500 visitors and we raised a massive £7,000 on the day.

A very big thank you to everyone who came along to support us and all our volunteers and staff who helped make it a great day.

This year’s Open Day event was a street party to celebrate our 130 year anniversary. We threw open our doors and visitors and their dogs were invited to take a look at The Mayhew behindthe-scenes.

Our guests were able to tour our newly expanded Vet Clinic and meet our amazing TheraPaws dogs and volunteers, as well as say hello to the

Photograph Jo Moolenschot

Open Day

on offer with a dog agility course, a dog behaviourist giving out advice, yummy vegan food and lots of games. We raised over £5,500 on the day which will go towards helping animals in need here in the UK and in our overseas projects.

Another huge thank you to all our supporters, sponsors, staff and volunteers who came along on the day!

To find out more about our events, contact Issy Fitzgerald in our events team on 020 8206 5872 or at issy@mayhewanimalhome.org

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The Mayhew _ Summer 2016

Above: Our CEO Caroline Yates with Mayor of Brent, Cllr. Parvez Ahmed, and TheraPaws pup Luna.

www.themayhew.org

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Your letters – adopted & loved We love to hear about how our ex-Mayhew animals are doing in their new homes, it’s so rewarding to see them happy and loving life! Here are a few of our favourite updates we’ve received over the last few months.

Daisy (previously Maria) Hi Matthew.

We just wanted to give you a little update on Daisy, who you may remember as Maria. She’s doing brilliantly - it turns out the quiet little kitten that we adopted recently has quite a big personality!

She’s all up to date with her vaccinations now and we carefully introduced her to the garden over the bank holiday weekend which she loved exploring!

Grubasik Dear All, Here’s a quick update on Grubasik. This year so far has been quite vet orientated as we had the bad news that he is showing signs of kidney disease. He’s doing well on his diet, no noticeable loss of appetite, no change in toilet habits, no vomiting and the parts of his coat he can reach are all maintained. We sneak groom the rest!

He has just spotted an open wardrobe so he’s working on furring all contents. We have countered this with sticky rollers in most rooms and by the door. His tactical response was to fur my handbags. Ah well, this battle, it will rage on!

All the best, Grubasik & family

Thanks again to you and the team for all your help.

All the best, Sophie & Ade

Buster (previously Kain) Hi Lisa,

Fred (previously Forest) Hi Lisa, Fred is the most wonderful, well behaved and affectionate dog possible who charms everyone he meets. Right from the first night he slept without a whimper in his crate, he’s never had an accident in the house and loves his romps in the nearby open spaces. We often visit my elderly father together, who isn’t keen on dogs, but he soon became devoted to Fred too.

We took Buster to the beach at Camber Sands recently and he chattered away to us in Staffy speak in the car on the way there! He loved the beach and was dashing in and out of the water and chasing a tennis ball on the sand like a young pup, not the stately 11 year old he now is! Here’s a photo of him enjoying himself in the sunshine.

Thanks, David

He’s a much more relaxed little chap than when he arrived and my two cats have now decided that he’s ok and take no notice of him. I’d love it if they actually became friends, but toleration is a good first stage. In the house he’s very calm and quiet and enjoys pottering in the garden or sitting on the sofa next to me.

To share your stories, please get in touch by writing to The Mayhew Animal Home, Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green, London, NW10 6BJ or email support@mayhewanimalhome.org

Thanks for all your help and advice, Judith

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Summer 2016 2016 The Mayhew _ Autumn/Winter

www.themayhew.org

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My rescue & me Kate, a writer from West London, first visited The Mayhew in Spring 2004 because her flat-mate wanted a kitten. She came home empty handed but Kate somehow ended up adopting a 7lb black house panther! After 13 tremendous years together, her beloved Eddie has now sadly passed away. Kate has shared with us a very special love letter to her cat.

Above: Kate and Eddie.

Dear Mayhew, I want to thank you for the life of my sensational and much missed cat, Edward Scissorhands.

The first time we saw each other he smiled a big cat smile and fixing me with a look, flipped himself onto his back and reached his arms out languorously towards me, his Cheshire cat grin now upside down and his body pouring off the shelf of his enclosure. His eyes never left mine during this exotic manoeuvre.

I was so impressed, and by his general sense of cat-ness that I found myself returning for him days later. That was 13 years ago and it’s been an epic adventure since.

Like most cats, Eddie could flit between extreme elegance and silliness in nanoseconds. One of his best tricks was herding me towards the food cupboard each morning in such a way that attempting an alternate path would lead to injury (for me). He was a nutcase in the garden too. He would fly out from behind bushes; arms outstretched and wrap them around my ankles like a fuzzy barbed wire scarf at every opportunity. He also liked to sharpen 26

The Mayhew _ Autumn/Winter 2016

Above: Eddie relaxing with some Stevie Wonder.

his claws on his teeth. Maybe I’m weird but I loved all of this. He wasn’t a sit on your lap cat but he clung to me like a limpet when he had to visit Ben Shorten (the vet). Of which there were many chances as he had a health record as long as your arm: fight injuries, hepatitis and hyperthyroidism to name a few and last November, at the grand age of 14, he styled his way through a dramatic tail amputation operation.

Perhaps that tells you something about his character. He was Robocat.

The only thing I ever really saw get him down was wearing the cone of shame for a month after his tail op. Depressed doesn’t cover it but the second the

Top: House panther. Above Cats n’mags.

Above: Hallway star.

cone was off; he was back to his tricks.

The lack of tail was a mere detail to Eddie and he flicked what remained of it with cattitude.

This made it all the sadder when cancer reared its head in March. If there is an upside to this scenario, he appeared happy to the end, chasing me down the garden just days before he took a sudden turn on June 8th. Refusing food and his breathing laboured, I made the decision every pet owner dreads. If it helps anyone to know, it was obvious when that moment arrived. There was no mystery. I knew what I had to do for my friend.

Thank you for Eddie. For this giddy, velvety, comical boy that I hadn’t planned on sharing so many years with.

It’s a special relationship between pet and human co-pilot and despite how much he is missed, I feel the richer for letting him cast his spell on me at The Mayhew. Perhaps he would have performed the trick for someone else but I like to think he did it because he wanted to come and live with me.

If you’ve lost a pet recently, why not think about making a donation to The Mayhew in memoriam of your loved one? Your donation will go towards helping our homeless cats and dogs find their forever families. To donate visit www.themayhew.org/donate

W.A.L.K. Shh… Don’t say it in front of the dogs!

Sponsored dog walk for The Mayhew Animal Home

Join The Mayhew for a very special dog walk to celebrate World Animal Week – with goody bags provided by DogBuddy!

Whether you get sponsored or not, treat your pooch to a fun day out and make a difference to the animals in our care.

Find out more at themayhew.org/events/dog-walk-london or call 020 8206 5872

Prize award ed for most sponsorship raised!

Prize for be st animal fanc y dress (for humans)!

Dog illustrations designed by Freepik

9th October, 11.30am Hampstead Heath