This month, Bath Cats & Dogs Home, launch their Winter Appeal to raise funds for urgently needed building improvements to their vet suite and recovery room facilities. The appeal kicks off with the charity participating in The Big Give Christmas Challenge where the charity hopes to raise £8,500 between Tuesday, 28th November and Tuesday, 5th December.
All donations from the community will be doubled by match funders up to £17,000 during the week to help Bath Cats and Dogs Home improve their medical facilities for rescue animals.
Last year 98% of the animals brought into Bath Cats and Dogs Home arrived with urgent concerns for their welfare so the busy vet suite is constantly working at full capacity. Recent years have been challenging for UK rescue centres due to the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and the pandemic on pet ownership. Bath Cats and Dogs Home saw a 12% increase in animal intake in 2022 plus a 122% rise in stray and abandoned cats and dogs needing assistance.
The Home’s veterinary facilities, built in 2000, are now stretched to the limit and fast becoming outdated. In 2024 Bath Cats and Dogs Home are undertaking an ambitious building project to upgrade their facilities to ensure they can provide the best quality of care for rescue animals and be ready to meet future demand.
Plans include a renovation of the existing recovery space in the vet suite into two separate recovery facilities for cats and dogs, ensuring all animals have a safe space to recover post-medical treatment. The changes will allow the veterinary team to treat more animals and reduce stress during their recovery with an increase in the number of post-operative cat pods and kennels, it will improve flexibility in scheduling operations and consultations, lower the need for animals to be transferred off-site to the local veterinary hospital and raise the Home’s capacity to respond to urgent medical cases.
Funds from this appeal will help animals like, Roly who came into the Home as a stray, with cherry eye in both eyes where his tear glands had swollen, impairing vision and damaging his eyes. It was heartbreaking to see him in that state and it is unknown how long he had been living with this condition. Roly had a series of specialised operations to treat his eyes in the Home’s vet suite, ensuring that Roly wouldn’t have to travel to an unfamiliar veterinary hospital or be put under unnecessary stress. Throughout his treatments, Roly was so brave and after weeks of treatment, Roly made a full recovery and is now settled in his new forever home. Having an up-to-date vet suite and recovery facilities on site are important to animals like Roly who need extra help on their road to recovery. To support our appeal visit Bath Cats & Dogs Home – Building A Better Future.
Rachel Jones, CEO of Bath Cats & Dogs Home said: “Despite the increasing demand for our rescue services our commitment to open intake, looking after the animals that most need our care regardless of behavioural traits or medical conditions, remains undiminished. We cannot stand still and with the help of the community we can build a brighter future for all those cats and dogs who need our love and care. Please support our appeal to help give rescue animals the veterinary facilities they so urgently need.”
Dan Norris, Metro Mayor for the West of England said: “I know from my recent visit to Bath Cats and Dogs Home just how difficult a time it is for rescue centres up and down the West of England, and across the country. The number of animals arriving with urgent concerns for their welfare is higher than it’s ever been. It’s just heartbreaking to think what some of the gorgeous animals like Roly cared for by the Home’s brilliant team have been through. I know times are tough for everyone, but I urge those that can in Bath and North East Somerset, and across the West, to get involved in the Big Give Christmas Challenge, and help more rescue animals get the urgent emergency care they need.”
Michaela Taylor, Head Veterinarian at Bath Cats and Dogs Home said: “Every week around fourteen neglected, abandoned or mistreated animals are brought into the Home. Often the severity of these animal’s injuries or medical conditions means that our vet staff have to act quickly to alleviate pain and suffering to turn the animals’ lives around. An improved vet suite and recovery room would transform the recovery of rescue animals like Roly post operation, enabling us to treat more animals and reduce their stress to help them heal more quickly. Please support our appeal if you can.”
All donations will be doubled during The Big Give Christmas Challenge week between Noon on 28th November to Noon on 5th December, for example, a donation of £20 will mean £40 goes to the charity. A £20 donation could go towards buying animal-safe wall paint, a £50 could buy new medical accessories or a £70 donation could buy a new cat pod or kennel.
To support Bath Cats and Dogs Home’s Appeal during The Big Give Christmas Challenge and help more rescue animals get the emergency care and recovery time they desperately need visit Bath Cats & Dogs Home – Building A Better Future. To ensure every donation is doubled, donations must be made via the Big Give website, rather than on the charity’s own website.