The Mayhew
£1 where sold
The magazine of The Mayhew Animal Home
Issue 25 • Winter 2009
Get creative for Christmas Design a card for The Mayhew
The plight of our golden oldies Photo competition winners Plus:
Rescue from animal hoarding house Mayhew International in India and Nepal Ricky Gervais interview
Top tips for fireworks night from BBC dog behaviourist
Helping animals and their carers since 1886™
Our Mission
We believe that animals, as living creatures, are entitled to legal protection, moral and ethical consideration and have a value beyond economic measure At The Mayhew we • Take in and care for
unwanted and abused animals and re-home them with responsible, caring owners
• Ensure that no healthy
animal in our care is ever put to sleep
• Prevent unwanted animals through our neutering and outreach programmes
• Promote respect and
compassion for animals through our activities, campaigns and education programmes
The Mayhew 16
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18 5 6 8 10 12 14 16
Golden oldies News round-up Fundraising: Summer round-up Get your dogs ready for Bonfire Night with Robert Alleyne Appeal update Mayhew International Animal hoarding horrors
The Mayhew Animal Home and Humane Education Centre
18 24 26 29 30
Snap Happy! The Photographic Competition results Kids’ stuff: colouring comp, reviews, plus win spy gear
31 32 33 34
Let your love for animals live on What’s On Your letters 5 minutes with Ricky Gervais
Find me a home Christmas card competition Part of the team
Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green, London NW10 6BJ Tel: 0208 969 0178 • Fax: 0208 964 3221 Email: info@mayhewanimalhome.org Website: www.mayhewanimalhome.org
For fundraising enquiries tel: 0208 969 7110 fax: 0208 969 3902 / email: pr@mayhewanimalhome.org Photographers: Lyndsay Scott and Ashley Contributors: Robert Alleyne, Sarah Dickinson, Fran Llewellin, Tracey Lee and Caroline Yates Design: Fiona Jerome / fiona@deepermedia.co.uk / 020 7385 7499 Print: Velvet Consultancy, 020 7386 6623
Welcome H ello and a Happy Halloween, a Cracking Guy Fawkes and a very Merry Christmas! I am getting all my best wishes in, in advance, as the next Mayhew magazine will be in 2010. I hope you have enjoyed the new look of the magazine this year and the news and features we have brought you about The Mayhew, the people, animals and supporters we have. By revamping our magazine we have saved money on every edition! We have certainly had a busy year and although the numbers of animals that arrive at the Home, and need your help, continue to rise, we remain optimistic about our educational programmes and the effects of our community initiatives to raise awareness of animal welfare and responsible pet ownership; which will benefit future generations of animals and their owners. The Mayhew continues to support both animals and people at the Home and on location. You can read about the rescue our Animal Welfare Officers took part in when they were called out to case of extreme animal hoarding (page 16). You can also read about our commitment to companion animals abroad through our work as Mayhew International and we bring you our update from Asia on page 14. Supporters of The Mayhew continue to show us such dedicated
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levels of commitment to the Home and our Fundraising feature on page 8 gives a round-up of the events of recent months and the fantastic figures that supporters have brought to the bank! Our famous friends also continue to keep The Mayhew close to their hearts and help us get the news of the Home out to more people in the UK, by supporting our appeals. In this edition we were lucky to share ‘Five minutes with Ricky Gervais’ on page 34, where he tells us how he views ‘all animals as unconditionally beautiful and perfect’ – we couldn’t agree more! BBC TVs Dog Borstal expert, Robert Alleyne visited the Home to discuss his tips for dog behaviour and say hello to the animals we have here. He shares his ‘top tips’ on page 10 for how to deal with those seasonal disruptions like fireworks that can strike fear into the heart of
the hardiest canine. In our June magazine we also launched ‘Snap Happy’, our first Mayhew Photography Competition, and were astounded by the quality and quantity of the entries – in fact we could have dedicated this whole magazine to sharing the images with you! However, we have picked a prize selection and you can see who bagged the top spots on pages 18-23. If you have competition envy then check out page 29 for your chance to design our 2010 Mayhew Christmas card and don’t forget to take a look through our new Christmas Catalogue for great gifts for all your loved ones – two legged or four! (You should have received a copy of the catalogue with your magazine, but if you haven’t or would like to order more please call Sue on 0208 968 2446, or email sue@mayhewanimalhome.org). As always, thank you for supporting the Home. We often receive wonderful letters from people who have had the magazine passed on to them and have now learnt about the work we do. I look forward to bringing you more news and stories next year!
Sarah Dickinson Media and Communications Officer
The winter years
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ne group of animals that remain consistently overlooked, their stories not dramatic enough for the media to sit up and pay attention to the problem, is our golden oldies. Many people do not make provision for their animals when they have to go into hospital or a care home, and often we have older cats brought in after an elderly relative has sadly died. These pets desperately miss their owners and in having a bit more mileage on the clock they often sit in their cabins, overlooked on adoption visits. Surveys have shown that many people view six years and above
Cleo, one of our Golden Oldies. Could you give her a home?
as old for cats and dogs and it is astonishing how many people will not consider adopting an animal any older than this. Many people may not realise it but many cats live to a ripe old age of 15 years and above. We are still rehoming cats here who are approaching their twenties! Sadly though, many owners also give up their pets as soon as they reach a certain age; literally wanting to trade in for a younger model. Mayhew’s Cat Adoption Officer, Lucy Edwards is always looking for homes for our older cats and we have now set up an Adopted Animal Aid (AAA) programme that means we can subsidise veterinary care for any of our older animals who may have long term health conditions such as hyperthyroid or diabetes. Lucy says: “The idea is that any animal adopted with a pre-existing veterinary condition will have an account credited with £75 or £120 depending on cat/dog and they
A problem all UK rescue centres face is the ‘sticky’ black and white cat. For unfathomable reasons, black and white cats will stay the longest, as they are seen as less desirable by adopters.
can use this money to pay towards veterinary treatment or special diets.” There are many beautiful, friendly and loving cats here, like Charlie and Cleo, who at only 6 and 11 years old are hardly past their peak and could live many more years! Staff and volunteers here spend a lot of time in our cattery ensuring that each one of the residents gets one to one attention and affection but nothing can beat having a home of their own. If you think you could give a home to one of our golden oldies and would like to chat about any of the health implications of taking on a cat with health considerations (many may be minor) then please call Lucy on 020 8968 2350.
News round-up Dogs as status symbols
Ricky Gervais’ cat appeal Nearby Mayhew neighbour, Ricky Gervais, has always been willing to help abandoned animals by speaking out in the media about the work we do. We desperately wanted to raise public awareness of kitten season and recruit foster carers for our litters of feral kittens. Ricky Gervais joined us in speaking out in a plea to cat owners: “I am joining The Mayhew Animal Home to urge people to think about what they can do to help during this current kitten crisis. Too many cats are having unwanted babies that are arriving on the doorsteps of rescue centres with very limited space. These tiny little things, like Bertie, have barely had a chance in life, so if you can take in any of these orphan felines and care for them while The Mayhew finds them a home, please get in touch.”
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A consistently popular topic in the press is the perceived threat of ‘dangerous dogs’ on our streets and The Mayhew has been responding accordingly to reports in newspapers to make sure all angles are looked at. We have been writing to Editors and commenting on legislation as we are keen for more people to consider the root cause of many of these problems: breeding and the lack of any effective system to monitor registered and unregistered breeders. With new legislation being discussed in the House of Lords, regarding dogs, here’s some of what we’ve said to newspaper readers and decision makers: “Placing more onus on responsible pet ownership is a step in the right direction, but additional focus should also be placed on dog breeders. The Mayhew certainly agrees that there is a large and growing problem with the misuse and mistreatment of dogs across the UK, but simply removing these dogs off the streets is not going to make this problem go away. This new proposed Dog Control Bill needs to do more than simply provide legal backing for removing dogs. More needs to be done to stop them falling in to the hands of irresponsible owners; this means tighter breeding restrictions.” To watch a video about how we are tackling the problem of Status Dogs at a grassroots level, visit www.politics.co.uk or our own website www.mayhewanimalhome.org
Discarded like disposable goods – Pushkin and Caramel
New look Mayhew online
The North London media also shared our disgust at the abandonment of two animals and reported the story on their pages in the hope someone may be able to give more information as to the background of this poor pup and poor puss. In Pushkin’s case, someone had chosen to go to specific
lengths to put her life in danger as they deliberately taped her up into a cardboard box and dumped her by a busy bin area. With no way of escaping the box and with depleting oxygen, Pushkin was incredibly lucky that a passer-by heard her cries and rushed her to The Mayhew. Understandably wary of people, Pushkin is currently in one of our foster homes, where she is learning to trust people once more and her photo will appear in our 2010 Cat Calendar in a beautiful, relaxed pose –we are so happy to see her like this. Puppy Caramel had also been thrown out of home like a piece of rubbish and all before only two months of age. This poor pup was found shivering and scared under the bushes of a residential front garden. Thankfully brought in by the kind home owners who found her, we were able to give her the best care she needed until the perfect new owners came along.
More and more people are looking online for their news and information these days and we have been watching traffic to our website steadily rise. There is lots of interest in the cats, dogs and rabbits we list for adoption, but we also have a wealth of information about our Community Animal Care projects, our lowcost veterinary services, volunteering opportunities, ways to support us and much much more! In order to respond to demand, our in-house team have been working on improving our website so it is easier and quicker to find out what you want from The Mayhew. And, of course, there will be some more stunning images of our animals past and present and we will be building some exciting video content in there too – so watch this space!... Well, not this space but keep visiting www.mayhewanimalhome.org in October and look out for the changes! To sign up to our bi-monthly online newsletter visit www.mayhewanimalhome. org/home/onlinemagazine The Mayhew
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Events: Summer 2009
Over the summer months, The Mayhew has taken part in a variety of fundraising events from a star-studded comedy night to a 10K run through the streets of Central London. Events Co-ordinator Fran Llewellin gives us a rundown of just some of the things we’ve been getting up to since the last edition of the magazine.
Stand up for The Mayhew On 1st June there was a very special night of comedy in support of The Mayhew Animal Home. Top comedian Al Murray – The Pub Landlord – hosted a fantastic evening of side-splitting giggles featuring Grumpy Old Women star Jenny Eclair, Mock The Week’s Russell Howard and Simon Brodkin as Lee Nelson, at the Leicester Square Theatre in London. We were also joined by Joanna Lumley, who made a guest appearance to draw the raffle. It was a fabulous fun-filled evening, raising over £7,000 for The Mayhew. Not only did the audience have a great time, but they were also helping us take home fantastic funds, which will go directly to helping the animals in our care. We would like to extend our thanks to Richard Allen-Turner at Avalon Management, the Leicester Square Theatre and of course all the performers who took part and made the evening a much talked about success.
Mayhew International Joanna Lumley and comedian Al Murray
Simon Brodkin as Lee Nelson
The British 10K London Run The British 10K London Run took place on Sunday 12th July and The Mayhew was represented by over 40 runners! Together they helped double last year’s total, raising over £10,500 for the Home – wow! We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part in the run and helped raise this fantastic total. We are already recruiting for next year’s race, so lace up those running shoes and get in touch!
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On 16th June, Mayhew International held a special event to highlight The Mayhew’s work abroad, at Burgh House in Hampstead. It was a beautiful back drop for a fundraising evening. As well as learning more about how we have been helping companion animals in Russia, Peru, Romania, India and Nepal, guests were treated to fantastic live Russian music and a talk from Pen Farthing, an exRoyal marine who began helping the stray dogs of Afghanistan in 2006 during his service there. He subsequently set up his own charity to help the animal
Upcoming Events
Jackie Prescott and Tippy Toes
Open Day Sunday 19th July saw around 1,000 visitors descend upon The Mayhew Animal Home for our annual Open Day. As well as enjoying a barbecue, live music and gift stalls, visitors were also treated to a performance from Britain’s Got Talent star Jackie Prescott and her trusty rescue dog Tippy Toes. Another highlight of the day was of course our Mayhew ‘Dog Walk’, featuring some of the dogs currently awaiting adoption at The Mayhew. Visitors were able to meet some of the NVQ student David Ibell dogs looking with Chesky on Open Day for new homes and to find out more about each of them and how they came to be with us. The day was lots of fun and helped raise over £10,000 for the Home. Many thanks to Mayhew supporter Margaret Smith, who made this stunning cake (below) as a prize, raising £100. If you would like a chance to win one of her spectacular creations come along to our Christmas Fair – details on P32.
sufferers of war, Nowzad Dogs. You can order his book, One Dog at a Time, about his journey to rescue Afghan dogs, from our Christmas Catalogue.
Next year the British 10K London Run takes place on 11th July. If you would like to take part in this really rewarding event, please get in touch to reserve your place. We are also taking part in the Santa 5K Run on 6th December. If you would like to be one of more than 1,000 Santas who will be running through Greenwich Park, please get in touch to find out more! All abilities are welcome, so you can run, jog or walk – dogs allowed!
Animal Blessing and Thanksgiving Service for Pets St Martin’s Church, Mortimer Road, Kensal Green, London NW10 5SN, 2pm start (2 minutes walk from Kensal Green Station) Ceremony performed by Revd. Graham Noyce Saturday 10th October 2009 All well behaved pets welcome but if your pet is nervous or you wish to remember a pet who has passed away, please bring a photo instead. If you are interested in any of our events, please contact Fran Llewellin at events@ mayhewanimalhome.org or call on 020 8968 2445. The Mayhew
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Robert with Jonah in The Mayhew’s kitten garden
Firework fears
Best known as a successful trainer on BBC’s Dog Borstal, Robert Alleyne visited The Mayhew to meet some of our dogs and spend the day at the Home, learning more about what we do and providing advice for our staff. Having previously worked as an Animal Welfare Officer for 15 years in London, Robert knows all too well the hard work our own Mayhew Animal Welfare Officers face daily.
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W
e asked Robert for some tips for our readers on how to deal with firework fear and how to calm and reassure your dog if they become stressed during this very noisy period in November. “To re-educate a dog with a fear of fireworks, thunder and loud noises generally, you need to teach him that the sounds he is afraid of are actually non-threatening, and can actually be very rewarding. You should start by buying a sound effect tape or compact disc that has fireworks, thunder and other similar loud bangs on it. There are several internet companies that make them especially for dogs. You should then begin by playing the sounds at a VERY low volume, just at the level where he is aware of the sound, without going into a panic. Play it several times a day if possible, particularly at times that the dog is in a good mood, such as at meal times or just before a walk or play session. Once he is happy with this level of sound, and shows no response, gradually increase the volume to the point where he again notices the sound but does not panic. What you will have taught him is that there is no reason to fear that particular noise at that volume in that environment. Then what you must do is to turn up the volume a
little, but give him a big reward every time that the sounds are initially played. Once he makes a connection between the sound and the reward, and expects a reward at that sound, reward him even more. Then you
Periodically, play the sounds in a different order so he doesn’t learn the specific sequence of the sounds, as when he hears them for real, they will have a different pattern which he has never heard and so could still react badly. If your sound system has a random play option, you can use that instead to achieve the same result. If it doesn’t, you can record them onto tape in different orders to achieve the same result. You should also ensure that the sounds are not too close together. If they are, it is too easy for the dog to simply learn the compact disc. So play the sounds at least 30 seconds apart. If the disc doesn’t do that, you will need to re-record them for it to work, spacing them further apart. Finally, you can begin to reduce the amount of food rewards and replace them with verbal and physical ones. Remember also it is important that you do not appear to be aware of these sounds. If he does not get a negative response from you, you are less likely to get a negative response from him. You may like to add other sounds to the recording, or edit in or out particular sounds that do or don’t affect him, in which case feel free to do so.”
“You need to teach your dog that the sounds he is afraid of are actually non-threatening”
Robert at The Mayhew with Jester, who is currently looking for a new home
can GRADUALLY increase the volume, a little every 2-5 days, depending on the dogs’ response. Keep repeating this process until you can play the sounds full blast without him worrying. Also play it at different times of the day in different rooms, so that he does not associate only one place as being safe.
Melanie when she arrived at The Mayhew in February: a hairless, halfstarved puppy
Appeal update In June we sent out an appeal to our supporters to help dogs who were ‘Days From Death At The Mayhew’s Door’ and you responded magnificently.
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hanks to you, our dedicated supporters, this appeal – entitled ‘Days From Death At The Mayhew’s Door’ – has raised £47,015.53, money which will go directly to helping the animals in our care. Earlier this year our Animal Welfare Officers had received a call from a distressed girl who had found two tiny, emaciated, hairless puppies, their skin cracked and covered in scabs. Rushed back to the Home, Cornelius and Fudge were given emergency treatment to ease their pain, while our vets assessed their chances for survival. Sadly, the severe malnutrition and
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disease was too much for Fudge’s young, frail body and a short life of unnecessary pain came to an end. Cornelius was diagnosed with mange, a skin condition that can easily be treated in its early stages with a medicated bath. Early signs are usually itching and some minor hair loss. For Cornelius to be entirely bald and with red, raw skin meant he had been suffering for some time. Several weeks later Cornelius was well enough to move into a larger room, still receiving regular treatment baths, and wearing a jumper to keep warm. He had only been in his new accommodation for a few days before a member of the public brought in another
pup found in a local park suffering from the same condition. Our vets worked once again to monitor Melanie 24/7 and set her on the road to recovery. As soon as she was well enough, Melanie joined Cornelius for company. When both puppies had got their strength up they were placed with Mayhew foster carers. Six months later their hair has nearly all grown back but they will still need constant treatments and baths to treat lasting damage to their skin after being neglected at such an early age. Money from supporters meant we are able to pay for their food and veterinary bills while in foster care. However, the compassion of
Melanie recovering in a foster home, where her hair started to grow back slowly
Dave Oakman and his family meant that they were willing to take on Melanie and her needs permanently and welcome her into their family, where she is now living a wonderful life and able to put the past behind her. Foster carer, Ken Dawe, who has had many dogs in his care temporarily, just wasn’t able to let Cornelius go and has adopted him permanently after being such a vital part of his recovery process. The Mayhew is eternally grateful for the support shown us through donations from the public, which help us invest in getting an animal healthy no matter how long it takes.
Melanie in her new home, enjoying lots of cuddles from her new family
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Mayhew Internat
An update from Asia: birth control in India and a new cli India and working with HOPE and Animal Trust
It is estimated that there are 15 to 20 million stray dogs in India and around 20,000 people die of rabies every year in the country. A national agency, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), supports the implementation of Animal Birth Control programmes by animal welfare organisations all over India, allowing the country to make significant strides to improve their animal population control methods in a humane manner. Mayhew International works with two NGOs in Eastern India, HOPE and Animal Trust and The Visakha Society for Protection and Care for Animals (VSPCA); both of whom are making huge efforts to improve the welfare of companion animals in their districts.
The Visakha Society for Protection and Care for Animals (VSPCA), has been
running since 1996 and has implemented Trap, Neuter and Release (TNR) programmes for dogs and cats in Andhra Pradesh, India. Recently, they gave a series of lectures to local police cadets to improve their knowledge of animal welfare legislation and the benefits of sterilisation.
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ional nic in Nepal
Temporary kennels in Nepal
Nepal is one of the many countries without effective animal welfare legislation, meaning that the long-term improvement to the current situation is Construction in progress at an uphill struggle. the Chobar kennels Despite the high number of street animals there are only a few animal welfare projects in the entire country. Mayhew International works with Animal Nepal, an NGO based in Laliptur District, Kathmandu Valley. Many local people are deeply concerned about both the suffering of the street dogs and additionally the health risks associated with them, such as rabies. Mayhew International supports Animal Nepal in its aim to improve the welfare of street animals by implementing an Animal Birth Control Programme (ABC) for vaccination and sterilisation, and also running an education programme to promote animal welfare in the local communities. The Asian monsoon season has unfortunately slowed down construction of the clinic slightly, but we are hopeful it will be fully operational in the next couple of months. The ten kennels at the Chobar ABC/AR centre are almost completed. The kennels are constructed according to World Health Organisation standards and will be used to temporarily house female street dogs for vaccination and spaying. We are also looking forward to the start of the construction of the operating theatre in early Autumn.
An update on the last appeal:
In our last magazine we appealed to you to help us raise funds to support the sterilisation programme we run with HOPE and Animal Trust and sponsor local vet Dr Ajoy Kumar. This sterilization project is now fully operational. National general elections forced the organization to establish new links with the municipal government and these have now been completed. Due to your support and with your help, over 520 dogs have now been sterilised and given rabies vaccinations. The programme continues.
International Vet Training Update
Dr Mahmoud, a veterinary surgeon from Cairo, Egypt arrived in May. In his home country he already offers his services on a voluntary basis to The Egyptian Society of Animal Friends. “The programme has taught me so many things and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to further improve my surgical skills in such a wonderful environment.” In June, we also welcomed Dr Ogbonna from Port Harcourt in Nigeria. He has been running his own veterinary practice for over ten years and is closely involved with the local authorities in their work to improve the stray animal situation. Dr Ogbonna applied for the IVTP programme in order to receive training about humane treatment and handling of animals, improve his knowledge in operation procedures and learn animal shelter management. “The training I received here is unlike any other that I have experienced. The Mayhew vets are very knowledgeable and are excellent teachers, ensuring that I understand the best procedures. I am very happy that what I have learnt I will be able to implement well when I am back in Nigeria.” Dr Mahmoud with Mayhew chief vet Ursula
Mayhew International website: www.mayhewinternational.org The Mayhew
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Mayhew rescues ani At the beginning of August, our Animal Welfare Officers were called out to a rescue of 34 cats
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n the 4th August, our team of Animal Welfare Officers and veterinary staff responded to a call to attend a rescue in Notting Hill, London. There were 34 cats and two dogs trapped inside a third-floor, one-bedroom flat and had only been discovered after their owner had passed away and Housing Officers needed to clean the apartment. Neighbours were unaware there were that many animals living inside the tiny property and action needed to be taken immediately to get these frightened felines out of their cramped quarters and to our vets for some much needed medical care. The flat was in a filthy, unhygienic
state and it was clear that none of the animals had been fed well, or received medical care for a long time, if at all. It was clear to our team on first introduction to the animals in their rancid environment that many of them had untreated infections and were malnourished. Animal hoarding is now recognised as a psychological illness as more cases are discovered globally of people keeping many animals, most commonly cats and dogs, in cramped conditions; often because they feel they are helping the animals or ‘saving’ them. Due to the fact no neighbours were aware of the amount of animals living in the property we
Animal hoarding is now recognised as a psychological illness
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imal hoarding victims and two dogs trapped in a filthy one-bed flat after their owner had died.
can not be sure as to where all the cats came from. It is certain that many of them are related and as they had no outside access at all it is incredibly likely they are from the same ancestry – a solemn example of why neutering household pets is essential. Our animal care team took in 16 of the cats and one of the dogs and arranged with other animal welfare organisations for the others to be taken care of. Our veterinary team worked flat out to check and treat all the animals as they all needed extensive dental treatment, vaccinations and neutering operations. In addition, many of them had overgrown claws that had grown into the pads on their paws, which needed treatment for infection. Any cat owner will realise just how little they must have been exercising for their nails to grow this extensively. Two of the cats also needed surgery to remove an eye and sadly two had to be put to sleep as they had advanced medical conditions. The Mayhew is committed to giving every animal the second chance at life and will provide veterinary care to help any abused or neglected animals get on the road to health. The cats are now all making a full recovery. The estimated cost of the treatment for these animals will be around £10,000 for the Home.
Our fantastic celebrity support
The Mayhew’s fantastic celebrity friends have stepped in to join us in speaking out about this tragic situation. Sophie Ellis Bextor said: “I’m extremely glad that rescue homes like The Mayhew exist to rescue animals like these poor cats, stuck in a tiny flat, and then treat them and nurture them back to health. I hope this story will remind people just how important neutering your pets is, as this terrible situation spiraled into a case of animal hoarding which should never be allowed to occur. Please neuter all of your pets, there is no excuse not to.”
Can you help?
Naturally, the majority of the cats were utterly overwhelmed on arrival at The Mayhew, due to having only experienced life in such cramped, stressful conditions. They are now getting on extremely well and enjoying one-to-one attention. We are looking to hear from people who may be able to give them a home or take one or two of them on temporarily as foster care to give them the chance to experience a normal life in a calm household environment. They certainly deserve a fresh start to make up for all the love and care they have missed out on. Call us on 020 8969 0178. If you are not able to adopt one of these animals, then maybe you could spare a donation to help us with the money it has taken to get these animals back on their paws. Any amount, no matter how small, is a great help to the Home. Could you give a home to Toffee (right), one of the two dogs living in the flat? A happy chappy, who is 10 years old, he will make a fantastic companion.
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Snap happy! – the res Here at The Mayhew we could never have predicted the excellent response we would get from competition. Entries came flooding in by email and post and we loved looking through each one categories for judgement day!
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t certainly was a tough (and unenviable) job for our judging panel, which was made up of Mayhew CEO, Caroline Yates, professional photographer and volunteer Ashley and volunteer photographer Lyndsay Scott. The quality of the entries was just exceptional and we could have quite happily created 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th places for all of the categories! However, competitions must have rules, though we did sneak a few 2nd places and joint winners into each of the categories – I’m sure you will forgive our judges when you look over the following pages!
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Per fect Pets winners
ults are in! our supporters for our photography and preparing the
Cat Winner (above): The sweet,
sleeping pose of ginger Orlando crowned him ‘Perfect Puss’ and after contacting owner Julie Perrin with the winning news and hearing of Orlando’s hard start in life, the title became even more fitting. Lyndsay: “You don't get more perfect than this – a sleepy cat all curled up and totally content! Super-cute and lovely close up shot.”
Dog Winner (left): This luminous portrait of Luna by Marie Hewitt was a striking entry for this category and meant the judges simply had to have two winners. Ashley: “This shot is a very well composed, technically proficient, powerful shot – it really leapt right off the page at me.”
Best of Friends winner
1st Place: This photo barely needs an explanation as to why it is the winner; David Allen has captured perfectly a moment of canine and feline harmony as Stanley and Billy share a basket. Lyndsay: “What a beautiful snap, catching two friends together who you’d assume would keep a wide berth from each other, but here they are looking genuinely at peace in each other’s company.” 2nd Place: This touching shot from Selina Donnellan was also chosen as a beautiful illustration of how much some animals love the companionship of others. Ashley: “This just fulfils the brief of the category perfectly, showing great interaction and companionship between the dogs.”
Lights, , Camera! Action
1st
2nd
2nd
1st Place (left): Rocco by
Suzanne May, helping himself to a drink from the sink. What is it with cats and taps?! Lyndsay: “This is a great ‘caught in the act’ moment and the wide angle captures the cat’s cheeky character.” 2nd Place (far left): A stunning shot of Marc and Manecas by Vleeskruijer. Ashley: “This is such a dynamic action shot, capturing spectacular movement.”
Funny Bone winner (below): This photograph
clinched the top spot as no-one could resist the delightfully serious expression of this kitty in such a silly position. Captions galore could be created for this image of Mo, a big thanks to Kelsa Smith for sending it in. Lyndsay: “It’s not just the legs akimbo that makes this shot funny – it's the slightly bewildered expression on the cat's face! A classic moment captured!” 2nd Place: ‘Grace Kowalski Haha’ was such a creative capture of an ex-Mayhew kitten that it tickled our judges’ ribs and they awarded Mimi Flood the second place. Ashley: “This shot just jumped out when we had all the entries spread out on the table and we had to squeeze in a second place as this totally fitted the bill for the Funny Bone title.”
2nd
Funny Bone winner
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Cat Winner: The somber look
of Berlitz in this photo from David Murray reminded all our judges of the echo of loss and is a beautiful submission for the category to remember pets who are no longer with us. Ashley: “Not only is this photograph well framed and technically superb, but it is such a compelling image. I was completely mesmerised by this picture.” Dog Winner: This bright and active image of Josephine Weir’s dog, Flynn, seemed to our judges to captivate exactly how we would best like to remember a pet; happy, active and enjoying life to the full. Lyndsay: “A lovely, colourful picture to remember a pet pooch by; full of life and having a ball in the park on a sunny afternoon. A happy looking dog indeed!”
Never Forgotten winners
If you would like to contact our volunteer photographers about any of your own photographic requirements, please contact Lyndsay at lyndsayscott@ rocketmail.com or Ashley at ash. savageskin@live.com
The Judges
Lyndsay, our volunteer and cat photographer extraordinaire!
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Mayhew CEO Caroline Yates
Our volunteer photographer and dog specialist Ashley
Calendar winners 2010
The winners for our Mayhew Calendars 2010 were judged by CEO Caroline Yates. Dog Calendar:“Handsome Staffy Milo has
been chosen for December in our calendar as he sleeps so peacefully by the Christmas tree. This image shows that Milo is completely part of the family – the way every pet should be treated. Many thanks to Jeff Hooper for sending it in, the shot is so beautiful we are selling it as a Christmas card in our 2009 catalogue.”
Cat Calendar: “Mayhew foster carer, Cristie
Cleveland, sent us this perfect image of Pushkin, whose new best friend is her daughter’s stuffed tiger. Pushkin arrived at The Mayhew taped up in a box and dumped by the bins. We are delighted to see how happy she is in her new home.” A fantastic £549.75 was raised from ‘Snap Happy’, so we will certainly be running another photography competition in one of our 2010 editions. So keep an eye out for that, but in the meantime take a peek at page 29 and the opportunity to enter our new competition to create our 2010 Mayhew Christmas card! The Mayhew
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Kids’ Stuff Spymice: The Black Paw
ing Colourp com
Heather Vogel Frederick, Puffin Books For Oz Levinson, life at Arthur B. Elementary School is always the same, he doesn’t have any friends and is constantly bullied. That is until his school goes on a visit to Washington D.C’s famous Spy Museum. While walking through a corridor, a mouse crashes into Oz’s shoe on a skateboard! Oz is gobsmacked, apart from the fact that the mouse rides a skateboard, he also learns that Morning Glory Goldenleaf (the mouse’s name) can talk, read and that she is part of Washington’s secret mice service. Naturally, Oz quickly becomes friends with Glory! On Glory’s side, life isn’t any easier than Oz’s. After learning of her father’s assassination by the dreaded ‘Black Paw’ Glory’s skills in spy missions gradually starts to fade. She is eventually fired from her job after losing the kiss of death (a secret lipstick gun stolen from the spy museum) in a fight with Roquefort DuPont, leader of the mighty Rats, himself. She realizes that the only way to get her job back is to retrieve the kiss of death from DuPont’s lair. But she can’t manage by herself; she needs help someone’s help: OZ! A whisker-twitching, spine-tingling tail of crime and courage that thrusts you right into the world of Espionage. I’d give this Book more than five stars if I could. Be sure to read it. Reviewed by Nikita Kvasniov
Picture perfect
If you’re a dab hand at colouring pictures then why not download this drawing of these two very different canine chums at www.mayhewanimalhome.org/ pdf/pictureperfect.pdf Send your work to The Mayhew Animal Home, Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green, London NW10 6BJ to win a fantastic pack of Spy Goodies (see below), courtesy of the Cartoon Network. Please enclose your name, address and age.
Spy Goodies ! n This we are giving you the Wi chanceissue to win this fantastic range of Spy Goodies by sending us in a coloured picture of the two dogs (above), which you can download from our website at www.mayhewanimalhome. org/pdf/pictureperfect.pdf. Good luck winning these excellent prizes!
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Draw your Pet!
‘Pet Portrait’ competition
Why not win yourself a prize by sending us in a drawing of your own pet? We would love to see them, so please post them to Sarah Dickinson at The Mayhew Animal Home, Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green, London NW10 6BJ. Please include your name and address as the lucky winner will receive this fantastic ‘Build your own camera kit.
Join the dots
Dot-to-dot courtesy of www.printactivities.com
Start at 1 and join the dots round to 99 to reveal what kind of animal is walking past.
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Find me a home 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.
Jester Jester is an energetic boy who needs exercise, stimulation, playtime and exercise, exercise, exercise! A super buoyant boy, he is great fun to be around and for a fan of the Collie breed, this 17 month old will make a fantastic friend. Jester needs someone who will take him to training classes and spend time with him making sure he gets to use his mind and body with exercise games like agility. If you have owned Collies before, or have done your research then you will know just what a pleasure they are as companions. Get in touch!
Taz Taz is a friendly and sweet 12 year old who arrived with us a bit bewildered and sad after her elderly owners had to go into a residential home and she could no longer live with them. She is
Lala
Lala is a striking seven year old Weimeraner that you can see looks every inch the lady. She is a beautiful dog whose owners emigrated and left her behind, and she is now getting on well in one of our foster homes. Lala is looking for an owner who is patient and can take her to training so she can overcome her nerves around certain strange people and dogs.
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settling in well at the moment into a foster home, where she can enjoy the peaceful life that suits her the best. Perfect company for a wander round the park, she is a rested gentle, sweet If you are inte e of the girl who loves to in adopting on please potter round the Mayhew dogs, house with her contact Lisa on 8 020 8968 234 ball. If you share w cats, and for Mayhe the same laid on please call Lucy back attitude to 0 020 8968 235 life then this girl will make the perfect companion.
Mikey
Luna Luna is a really pretty puss who we all desperately wish to see settled in a new home. Although she is an older lady, at 15 she still deserves as much love and attention as any other cat and has a really sweet personality. She is a little sad at finding herself here since her owner recently became ill and is missing her best friend. An ideal owner would be a kindred spirit – someone who knows how to kick back and relax, and has plenty of love to return.
Mikey is a cheeky little 16 month old Jack Russell/Whippet cross, a real handsome lad looking for a new forever home. He can live with cats and older children, but isn’t sure about all dogs, so it would be best if he was the only household dog. Mikey can be a bit selective about which dogs he does and doesn’t like, due to lack of prior training, and any committed owner should invest in training classes until he is confident around all other dogs. Providing an owner is willing to put in the effort then in the future Mikey will race around the park with new canine chums. With a loving, sweet and eager-to-please personality, he would make an excellent companion and a happy addition to the family.
Sylvester Sylvester is a handsome, striking boy with his fluffy mane of fur and you’d better be sitting comfortably for a cuddle with this big chap as he certainly is at the larger end of the scale for a lap cat! He is a utterly gorgeous feline who adores humans and loves nothing more than snuggling up for some fuss and attention. At eight years old, he had been living as a stray and certainly wants to make up for his time without humans by spending as much time with people as he can. With a very relaxing persona, Sylvester will be a joy for anyone to have around. The Mayhew
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Find me a home With Halloween on the horizon we bring you a black cat adoption special. Hopefully the witching hour will see fortunes change for these four felines and they will be settling in to a new home before we can say ‘trick or treat’!
Gus and Ollie Gus (left) and Ollie (right) are two brave best mates who have been through a lot in their lives and deserve the chance to live happily ever after. At nine and 11 years old they do look like peas in a pod, but have very different personalities, making them an irresistible pairing. Ollie is an ultraconfident chap who will
Charlie
win you over at first sight, whereas Gus is more reserved due to the fact he only has one eye. But as soon as you get to know him, you’ll realise that he is just as much of a softie as his best friend, Ollie.
Sally
Charlie is a magnificent Sally is an office resident at The Mayhew mog who arrived with who can usually be found curled up on a us in a sorry state. He keyboard. She came to us in 2000 as a seven had an awful infection month old and was originally living with our in his mouth and as garden cats, as she was not keen on people at all. you can see it left him Sally came to enjoy human company and started a little ‘gummy’ living inside the Home. She is a friendly, loving looking – all girl – best suited to getting all the part of his attention as the number one feline! If you are g n ti p o d a charm d in intereste have we say! A real gentle giant, he e cats we any of th lease is just so full of love and ayhew, p M e h T t a ucy on adores to be with humans. contact L 8 2350 Don’t worry about 020 896 er at h the lack of teeth – or email yhew lucy@ma Charlie can ome.org animalh devour dinner with the best of them! This six year old will be a fantastic companion so please get in touch to meet him.
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Design us a card A masterpiece for the mantelpiece – could you design our 2010 Christmas card?
F
or our Christmas Catalogue 2010 The Mayhew is looking to produce two of our own Christmas cards, designed by our very own supporters. If you think you could produce a masterpiece that will stand out amongst other Christmas cards, then this Mayhew competition is the one for you! There are only a few rules for submission, as we like to encourage creativity! • You must enter one design only for either the youth or the adult category, with adults being 16 years and above. • The card needs to have a Christmas theme that involves cats and/or dogs or The Mayhew Animal Home itself in some way. It can be handdrawn, painted, computer designed, photographic – you name it! • The design will need to be sent to us, either as an original document, or as a high-res jpeg so that we can use it for production of the card for sale in our Christmas Catalogue 2010 – why not take a look at our catalogue this year and take a peek at the cards and wrapping paper prints for inspiration!
This year The Mayhew has produced a new Christmas card featuring a photo of Gingerbread, one of the tiny kittens who arrived with us after being abandoned in a garden – snap up this beautiful card from our 2009 catalogue
Please email all designs to sarah@mayhewanimalhome.org or post to Sarah Dickinson, The Mayhew Animal Home, Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green, London, NW10 6BJ and don’t forget to list your name, address and whether you are entering the youth or adult category. All competition entries must be received by February 1st 2010 as production for Christmas goods starts early! Winners will get to see their design produced as an exclusive Mayhew Christmas card to be sold in our Christmas Catalogue 2010, with their name accredited on the card and inside the catalogue. By entering the competition, you are giving The Mayhew the right to use your design exclusively for our own Christmas card. We will notify the winners in February by email or post. Lots of luck – we can’t wait to start receiving those entries! The Mayhew
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Part of the team Take a look behind the scenes at the people who work at the Home. Wendy Henry Volunteer dog fostering co-ordinator Wendy has an infamous newspaper career under her belt, including being the first woman Editor of a national newspaper. When Wendy had free time of her own she chose to use it helping needy animals and we are very grateful to have her on board. In true newspaper fashion, we fired a few questions at her about her job here – though we’re sure it was nothing to sweat about after her time on Fleet Street! Why did you want to come and volunteer at The Mayhew? Previously I’d volunteered at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home for seven years setting up their foster scheme. Although I really loved the job, when I heard about The Mayhew’s Pet Refuge scheme, to find foster homes for dogs whose owners temporarily could not look after them because of difficult personal circumstances, I thought ‘Brilliant idea!’ I really want to be a part of that and happily now I am! Additionally, as part of my role, I am responsible for fostering out Mayhew dogs that are up for adoption, but not coping in kennels. They may be stressed or ill, or
too depressed even to eat. Some may be very old or just puppies who desperately need socialising in those first important months. So it is a real mixed bag of needy dogs. Luckily my foster carers are a ‘mixed bag’ too! Young and old. But the one thing they all have in common is a big heart and endless patience! Can you describe your typical day? With up to eighteen dogs out on foster at any one time, there is always something different going on! The most important job of the day is to find the right foster home for any dog that desperately needs one. Then when hopefully I’ve made the right match, the next job is to get their foster pack together and as I always say: “more kit than your average British squaddie!” What do you find the most rewarding about your role as dog-foster co-coordinator? Oh, that’s easy! Sharing a foster carer’s pride and joy when one of their foster dogs happily goes off with their new owners and we both know that’s a job well done! Also, the pleasure in witnessing a Pet Refuge dog and their owner’s excitement and pleasure at finally being reunited. Would you have any advice for anyone else considering volunteering? I would certainly advise anyone considering volunteering to be prepared for a lot of hard work and a fair amount of heartache! Know that sadly you can’t save every dog but take comfort in the ones you can. Never forget that regardless of how much or how little you can manage, you are making a real difference. And most importantly – enjoy! Before getting involved in the dog rescue world, I had a somewhat infamous 20 year career in newspapers, a bit of a difference eh? Yet now I can’t imagine not working with rescue dogs. They simply give so much more then they take. People who are interested in volunteering can visit www.mayhewanimalhome.org/mayhewpeople/ volunteers or telephone Val Hammond, Volunteer co-ordinator on 020 8968 2346.
Donate in your Will Let your love for animals live on after you’re gone.
M
ore than a third of The Mayhew Animal Home’s work is paid for by gifts left in Wills, which can also be known as legacies or bequests. This money is vital to the future of the animal home itself, as well as our proactive work against animal cruelty and neglect. Following a legacy article we featured a few editions ago, we had a number of queries, as many people find the whole area of Wills and legacies confusing or even frightening. So we have put together some common questions for you, which we hope will answer some of your queries and demystify this area. How do I leave a gift in my Will?
Including The Mayhew Animal Home in a Will is a straightforward and cost-effective way to support our work. It simply involves adding a short paragraph (also known as a clause) to your Will. We would always suggest that you use a
qualified solicitor to help with this. What are the basic pieces of information I need to include The Mayhew in my Will?
The most important bits of information to include are our name, our address and our registered charity number: The Mayhew Animal Home, Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green, London NW10 6BJ Registered charity number: 1077588 Can I add The Mayhew to my existing Will?
Making changes to an existing Will is very straightforward and it is important that you keep it up-todate. If you want to add The Mayhew Animal Home to an existing Will, your solicitor needs to simply attach a written instruction, called a codicil. This must be done by your solicitor – don't make changes
yourself as you may inadvertently invalidate your Will. If there are a number of changes you want to make, it may be better to make a new Will, which your solicitor can help you with. What is the difference between a pecuniary and a residuary legacy?
The two main types of legacies that people leave are residuary and pecuniary: • A residuary legacy is when a person leaves a percentage of their estate to a charity. • A pecuniary legacy is a set sum of money. We advise that you consult your solicitor on what is best for your particular circumstances. We have some further information on our website: www.mayhewanimalhome.org/ donateinyourwill We are also here to offer you support about leaving a gift in your Will, so for any queries or for more detailed information, please contact Sue Barrett on 020 8968 2446 or sue@mayhewanimalhome.org The Mayhew
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What’s On
Please tell all your friends about fundraising events for The Mayhew. 14-15 Nov Discover Dogs Our stall at Discover Dogs will feature lots of Christmas gift ideas for both two-and-four
legged loved ones as well as lots of information about the work carried out by The Mayhew and Mayhew International. www.discoverdogs.org.uk, 10am-5pm, Earls Court 1
28 Nov
The Mayhew Animal Home Christmas Fair
Get into the Christmas spirit at The Mayhew Animal Home Christmas Fair. A fantastic event with mulled wine, mince pies, gifts for two and four-legged friends, Christmas cards, wrapping paper and the chance to meet Santa Claus! Adults £1.50; Senior citizens £1; children 50p; under 5s free. Lauderdale House, Highgate Hill, Highgate, London N6. 1–5pm
6 Dec
The Christmas Without Cruelty Fayre
10 Dec
The Mayhew Christmas Evening
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The Mayhew will be joining more than 80 other animal-friendly organisations at this festive event. Admission is £2, free entry for children under 11. Kensington Town Hall, London W8, 10am–5pm A special Christmas Evening, with our Celebrity supporters at the beautiful St John’s Wood Church. A festive evening with luxury raffle, auction, delicious food and drink, and first class entertainment. St John’s Wood Church, St John’s Wood, London, NW8. Tickets £30. To book please contact Fran Llewellin events@mayhewanimalhome.org or call 020 8968 2445
Your Letters Dear Mayhew Scarlett is always ready for action but always ready for sleep at the same time! Give her a ball and she is happy. As we previously had Archie from the Mayhew in 1998, we were used to fussy eating however Scarlett shows no fear and will eat anything and everything – fish being a favourite. She has fitted in with all members of the family and has local doggy friends that she plays with on a daily basis. She is always ready for cuddles and is no stranger to sitting on laps or even behind us on the chair headrests – in fact she is just perfect! Whether its playing in the garden, out on a walk or even going to Sainsbury’s in the car, Scarlett lets nothing faze her (apart from the odd fox or cat). “Thank You” from the Hanley family – not just for Scarlett but for Archie too! Regards, Julie Hanley Do you have any funny, interesting or unique tales about an animal you have adopted from The Mayhew? Let us know!
Hi Lucy, Here is at last an update on how our little friends Tethys and Oceanus are doing. Well, first of all we renamed them Finley and Frankie. They are superb little chaps and growing
every day. We love them to bits and I think they like us too because they both have an almighty purr on them with which they greet us. Finley (black and white) is the more affectionate of the two. Frankie (ginger and white) is the more athletic one and more shy at first although very amenable to having a cuddle too! Once again, many thanks indeed for letting us adopt these two delightful little friends! Best wishes, Anna Wanless
Dear Mayhew, Thank you very much for offering me the opportunity of work experience at The Mayhew. I found it interesting and enjoyable, especially working with Pippen. I believe that I have learnt a lot during the placement, including some new skills. Please could you thank everyone who helped me, particularly Kennel Manager Dan, NVQ student, Janet and Kennel hand, Josh. Yours sincerely, Ashik Farjami
We absolutely love to hear from you, so if you have any news about former residents, top tips or any questions for us, please get in touch and send your letters to sarah@mayhewanimalhome.org The Mayhew
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5 minutes with
Ricky Gervais C
Ricky with Mayhew vet Ursula at our dog show
omedian Ricky Gervais made his name globally as the creator and star of The Office and Extras. His sell-out stand-up tours, including one called Animals, delighted his audiences with his unique perspective on life. The Mayhew is very lucky to have the support of Ricky and his partner Jane, who made a guest appearance at our sponsored walk and dog show in April and recently popped in for an impromptu visit (or should that be ‘opportunity to cuddle the kittens’?) Ricky found the time to sit down and answer some questions for our magazine and revealed that he’s as much of an animal aficionado as the rest of us:
cool in a big house with a “baby sitter’. It doesn’t care who feeds it. A dog isn’t just a pet though. It’s a friend. So what I do is covet other people’s dogs.
What is your earliest animal memory?
What is your favourite animal sound?
Smokey, a fat fluffy grey moggy was our pet cat before I was born so he thought he was in charge when I came along. I remember when I was a toddler, my head was at the perfect height for him to swipe when I walked past a chair he was sitting on. Even though he thought we were mortal enemies, I would sit in the corner and cry whenever one of my family sang “On top of old smokey, all covered in snow”. Cat man or dog man?
All animals are unconditionally beautiful and perfect so I couldn’t chose in principle. Practically though I only have a cat as I’m out a lot and travel for work so I think it would be cruel to have a dog at the moment. A cat is
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If you could spend daylight hours as one kind of animal and the night time hours as another, which two animals would you choose?
A fat lizard in the day time, lying on a big rock catching some rays, and a bat or owl at night. There’s something amazing about the thought of being up high, flying in a black sky. Actually, scrap that, I’d be a cat in both instances as it sleeps and eats when it wants.
It was a duck’s quack until this year. But that sound was overtaken by the sound of my cat Ollie meowing so much when we’d arrived back off a long trip to America, that he lost his voice and started quacking like a duck. So basically if an animal makes a sound like a duck I love it. Whether it’s a duck or not. If you weren’t a comedian is there any other job you would consider doing?
Loads, anything creative really. Architect, writer, landscape gardener and anything to do with music, science and of course animals. Why support The Mayhew?
It’s a cause close to my heart, and to my house.