Newsletter WARM WINTER WISHES TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS. Supporter s. Together we ve rescued and re-homed animals in need - Thank you - INSIDE!

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1 Supporter s Newsletter Winter 2016 WARM WINTER WISHES TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS Together we ve rescued and re-homed animals in need - Thank you - INSIDE! Updates on animals looking for homes Find out where your donations were spent in 2016 Stories and news about our rescues WIN! IN OUR WINTER RAFFLE DETAILS ON PAGE 3

2 WELCOME Contents Page 3 Winter Raffle - all you need to know, and what you could win Pages 4-5 Some animals looking for a home and an update on those featured last issue Pages 6-7 Puppy power - enjoy stories from the wiggliest animals we cared for this year Page 8 Has the Dog Microchipping Law made any difference to strays? Page 9 Keeping cats safe in the dark nights Page 10 Our figures for 2016 and where your donations were spent Page 11 Your adopted photos Welcome to the winter issue Now we are nearing the end of the year, we hope you will enjoy in this newsletter a look back at 2016 and all the wonderful animals that you have helped. You ll find stories and statistics, giving you details of everyday work at the charity. And of course looking forward, thank you for continuing to support our work and for making a difference to many animals lives. We hope to see many of you in person at events in Keep up to date online at or on Facebook, Twitter and you can now find us on Instagram too. Have a cosy and warm winter, With best wishes Liz Oldroyd Liz Oldroyd Chair of the Trustees Our cover star is Jenna This beagle x jack russell is full of fun and looking for a rural home. Get your pet s Christmas presents at our Pawstore, and you ll be benefiting rescue pets like Chase as you shop. Open every day 9am pm. Bandana and stocking available whilst stocks last. GET IN TOUCH WITH US AT: Bath Cats and Dogs Home Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AZ reception@bcdh.org.uk RCN: (RSPCA Bath & District Branch) 2

3 1ST PRIZE 500 2ND PRIZE 200 3RD PRIZE 100 Pets at Home gift card 4TH PRIZE 50 Pawstore gift card 5TH PRIZE Pet portrait Add some sparkle to your winter! Take part in our Sparkling Winter Raffle Tickets are only 1 each and every ticket you buy helps rescue and re-home animals in need, like Lionel. Imagine winning a cash prize of 500! If you re our lucky first prize winner, you ll have 500 to spend on whatever you want. How about a luxury weekend break? Or some home improvements? The choice would be yours. And there are more great prizes to win - cash, gift cards and even a specially commissioned pet portrait. Terms and conditions are on the reverse of tickets and online at Help make this our best raffle ever The Sparkling Winter Raffle closes on 12th January Please buy - and sell - as many raffle tickets as you can and make this the best Bath Cats & Dogs Home raffle ever! Every raffle ticket helps animals like Lionel. To find out more about this gorgeous puppy in our Winter Essentials Appeal. Visit www. bcdh.org.uk/winteressentials Raffle Tickets Raffle tickets are enclosed with this newsletter, if received in the post. Buy raffle tickets from: - The Home - Our shops in Moorland Road, Bath and Stony Street, Frome. - Enter online at For more tickets, fundraising@bcdh.org.uk or call Hurry, you could win an extra prize! Hurry - you could win a 10 M&S gift card in the Fast Reply Draw. Enter the raffle by 21st December 2016 and you ll be entered into an extra prize draw to win one of M&S gift cards. Fast Reply Draw Terms and conditions: No purchase necessary. Send your name and address to Bath Cats & Dogs Home, The Avenue, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AZ. One entry per person. Entrants must be aged 16 or over and resident in Great Britain. Promoter: Bath Cats & Dogs Home. 3

4 OUR ANIMALS Looking for a Home Azrael Tia Louie Ollie Cockerels Winston A cheeky lad who can get easily worried, looking for a terrier-savvy family to help build his confidence. A sensitive lady who loves cuddles - a wonderful friend. She is finding kennel life hard and needs someone to see her true colours. Louie has been a traveller and is looking to settle now in a roomy home. He is chatty and friendly but also needs his own space. Sweet young lad with soulful eyes and unusual longer fur. He plays an excellent game of fetch and would make a really fun pet for an experienced doggie home. We have some cockerels in looking for farm or country homes. An older chap who can be shy, but if you go slowly with him he would make. an affectionate companion. UPDATE ON THE ANIMALS FROM SPRING ISSUE: We are thrilled to say that all of our animals from the last issue have now found a home. Bandit, Charm, Grayson, Ziggy, Anna, Dennis, Perrie, Laurence Interested in adopting? Please call to make an appointment Th ank you......to all of our amazing adopters 4

5 OUR ANIMALS Tia Louie Azrael Ollie Cockerels Winston 5

6 OUR ANIMALS Puppy Power 9 Caring for puppies that come to the Home presents challenges, but there is never a shortage of staff volunteering to give cuddles! Our smallest residents are experts at distracting and always a joy to see adopted. Here are some happy endings from puppies we cared for and found homes for this year. 1 Rottweiler x mum and litter, January Nervous mum Ella was in shock with the move to the Home shortly after giving birth and she was quite protective of her little ones. We soon gained her trust and helped the puppies improve in temperament as well. 2 Bichon Frise cross, March Dudley, a Cavalier King Charles x Bichon Frise, was handed over to us at 8 months old as the family realised that they didn t have enough time to train him. He was adopted by a member of staff and now can often be met at our children s days at the Home. 3 Saluki, March This young lad was saved from being kicked and dragged along on the lead in public. He was naturally quite nervous of people and new situations but was adopted quickly to start a new life. 4 German Shepherd, March Found in an open space, dumped at just 2 months old, Roxy still remained friendly and approachable to new friends at the Home and was quickly adopted. 5 Terrier cross, May Found at just one month old in a very weak condition, Help us to make sure rescued puppies get through this winter, by donating to our Winter Essentials Appeal Visit winteressentials or call our team on

7 OUR ANIMALS Pip-Squeak weighed just 1kg. She perked up quickly and was fit as a fiddle for her adoption just over a month later. 6 Terrier cross, June Bruno was found in a petrol station, and we aged him at about 9 months. Initially scared of being touched, Bruno soon became a lap dog and he found a nice calm owner to bring his confidence up. 7 Staffie litter, August Police requested that the RSPCA removed this 8 week-old litter from their home because of concerns for their welfare. Inspector Steph brought them to the Home. We named them after American states - with the biggest boy named Texas, of course! 8 Jack Russell x Chihuahua, September The dog warden brought this tiny girl in as a stray, a chirpy girl in good health and with a love of sitting on your lap. Sadly Shrew was never claimed but was quickly adopted. 9 Bichon Frise mum and litter, September Molly was rescued by an RSPCA Inspector from severe neglect - she had maggots in her skin and was heavily pregnant. She gave birth to six puppies, but sadly four died. Her remaining two pups are tiny but happy. Cavalier King Charles 10 puppy, September Buddy suffered a shattered shoulder and needed an amputation, at just 4 months old he bounced back quickly after the op and soon was chasing after other pups having fun

8 BEHIND THE SCENES Microchipping and Strays In April it became law to microchip your dog. Has it made any difference to the Home and the stray dogs we get in? Simon, Head of Animal Operations, tells us the practical view of the first few months with the new law. How many stray dogs do we get in? We look after about 30 stray dogs every month. And has there been a change in the number claimed? Not at all! It is still around 60% that are claimed and that we can re-unite through microchip information. I m not surprised by this responsible owners will have their pets chipped; the other 40% were probably abandoned rather than lost. Our main problem is that people s contact details are out of date - which is not only now against the law but also frustrating as we cannot get in touch quickly. What has been good about the microchip law? People are responding to the Dog Warden s formal notices which should help in the future, this means if your dog is picked up as a stray and isn t microchipped or your contact details are out of date, you still get time to make sure you are abiding by the law. Many people are happy to get their dog chipped with us whilst they are being picked up. And bad? Behind the scenes, we have a bit more paperwork to fill out so there is a solid chain of evidence if refusal to comply leads to prosecution. Prosecutions have now started across the country. Anything else? I urge everyone to get their pets microchipped, dogs, cats and even rabbits. If an animal has a home I want to make sure we quickly get them back to you! Take 15 minutes... and check your pet s microchip details. You may be surprised that you have a new mobile number to add, or even that you forgot to change it when you moved house it is so easy to miss it out. So find your number, look it up on and then follow the links through to find your details. There is a small charge but it could mean the difference between getting your lost pet back, or not. We offer free microchipping for dogs and cats Please call for details THE CHARGES Anibase: 6 each time you change. Petlog: 16 one-off fee that covers you for the lifetime of your pet. PETtrac: Either 6 each time or for lifetime cover. Can t find the number? Your vet might have it on record, or they can scan for you. 8

9 PET CARE Late Night Stop Outs Sadly this year we have had to help several stray cats involved in road traffic accidents or serious fights with other cats. Injuries have ranged from infected bites to shattered limbs. Lenny was found in distress in someone s garden, having crawled from the road to shelter after being hit. His injuries included a broken tooth and a fractured back leg with a nasty wide open wound. We nursed him back to health and he was soon ready for a new home. How you can protect your pet cat Keep them indoors at night, or just at rush hour traffic times. Make sure they are neutered, they roam less far. If they will wear it, buy them a reflective collar. Make sure it has a safety clasp so it releases quickly if they get it caught. Get them microchipped, so we can contact you if we do get them here. We provide free microchipping for cats. Call for details. When we re-home cats we look at their temperaments and experience to decide if they can cope with the traffic around their proposed new home. If you live in a busy area, you could consider adopting an indoor cat or even an indoor rabbit - they can be housetrained and affectionate just like cats! Lenny 9

10 A LOOK BACK Th ank you Angel playing in the sensory garden pond. She was adopted in September. A Look Back at 2016 T hank you to all of you who donated in response to our appeal in August, the letter where we featured Ruby the Jack Russell and a litter of feral kittens. You raised over 6,500. It went towards care of the 340 animals in need who have come through our doors in the past 3 months. We are also very pleased to say that Ruby and all the kittens have found lovely homes and will be spending their first Christmas being very spoilt. And for those animals who are spending their Christmas at the Home, please donate to our Winter Essentials Appeal to give them all they need until they find their forever home. Visit winteressentials Over 1,000 animals will be adopted before we hear the new year chimes. 300 stray animals have been reunited with their families. 700 neuters and over 200 essential operations took place in our Vet Suite. Group walk out in the summer. Clara and kitten George. George was born at the Home in May. 10

11 YOUR ADOPTED STORIES Your Adopted Stories Holly: Adopted September We are overjoyed at her quick transition and sweet disposition. Could not be happier with our decision to adopt from Bath Cats and Dogs Home. Te Phillips-Greenwood family Maisie: Adopted August Everyone loves her, and she has made a real difference to our home. Te Graham family Hunter: Adopted May He s made friends with a few of the dogs in the village and seems to get on with the horses alright although it s all been through gates and fences...baby steps. He loves the water as you already know which he s already demonstrated on quite a few occasions to us! Te Martin family Perdita: Adopted July We would like to thank you for letting us adopt her and would encourage others in the joy of adopting an older cat. Te Flaherty family. Jasper: Adopted May This morning we took him into the corn field and let him off, we were worried he might just go but it s such a massive area we put are trust in him, he loved it we could only see the tip of his tail he covered the ground so fast and it was again brilliant to be a part of. Te Wells family Mr Jingles: Adopted August 2014 As we ve now had Jingles for nearly 2 years, we just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU once again. We can t believe how lucky we were to find him there, and remind ourselves this almost daily! He is smothered with affection, and reciprocates twice as much. Te Ridyard family Tank you to everyone who s given a loving home to one of our rescue animals this year! Hunter Holly Jasper Perdita Maisie Mr. Jingles 11

12 Help save lives by leaving a lasting legacy Thanks to our supporters, since Bath Cats and Dogs Home was opened in the 1930 s we have been here to care for and re-home over one hundred thousand animals in need. By leaving us a gift in your Will your act of kindness will ensure we are able to rescue many more unwanted and often neglected animals in years to come animals that without you would have no future. Any gift is greatly appreciated and can help save an animal s life. If you re worried about what will happen to your beloved pets after you pass away, your Will can be used to help safeguard their future too with the RSPCA s free Home for Life service. To find out more about leaving a legacy to Bath Cats and Dogs Home or the Home for Life scheme please contact us: Telephone racheljones@bcdh.org.uk *If you are making a gift in your Will please remember to use our name and charity number Bath Cats and Dogs Home, registered charity number Rescuing & re-homing animals since 1937 Registered Charity Number