Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

Government decides all dogs in England must be microchipped:
Battersea and other charities to offer free chipping

Today’s Government decision that all dogs in England must be microchipped by April 2016 has been warmly welcomed by leading animal charity Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.
The ruling gives dog owners over three years to ensure their dog is chipped, and for some who have experienced the trauma of their dog going missing in the past, today’s news is common sense and can’t come quick enough.

The primetime ITV series about Battersea, Paul O’Grady. For The Love of Dogs, scooped the Best Factual Entertainment Award at last night’s prestigious National Television Awards, broadcast live on ITV.

The series, based at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, captured the hearts of the nation with its unforgettable and emotional tales of dogs searching for a second chance in life.

While heavy snowfall has caused travel chaos across most of the UK, dogs at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home are making the most of Britain’s blizzard.

Many of the 450 dogs at Battersea have had their first taste of snow today, such as six month old Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross Hudson, who arrived at the Home as his owners could no longer care for him. Like Hudson, many of the dogs being walked this weekend will be wrapped up in handmade knitted pullovers sent in by the charity’s supporters to help keep them warm.

Akita cross Harvey is another one of Battersea’s canine residents who is enjoying the snow. However, unlike Hudson, Harvey has a thick fur coat to keep him warm. Akitas originate

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is appealing to animal loving Londoners to help foster dogs and cats who were bought as Christmas presents and then discarded.

The charity is preparing for an increase in the number of dogs and cats in need of its help, which normally happens in March. Battersea believes this worrying trend is fuelled by animals who are bought as Christmas presents and then given up. To help care for the influx of new arrivals, the charity is currently recruiting dog and cat foster carers in the Greater London area. Fosterers take animals into their home and care for them while they recover from operations, or to give them a break from kennel or cattery life.

Last March 443 people contacted Battersea’s Lost Dogs & Cats Line after finding a stray dog, which is a 17% increase compared to an average month. While some of the dogs were collected by dog wardens, many came to Battersea, and last March 307 dogs and puppies arrived at the London centre, which is up 13% on a normal month. Volunteer Manager Carly Whyborn explains: “We believe many of these strays were deliberately abandoned. Puppies and kittens are always very cute, but many people forget they will soon need training. Once they start scratching the sofa or chewing

On New Year’s Eve five puppies were heartlessly dumped outside Battersea Dogs & Cats Home’s centre at Old Windsor, Berkshire, and staff fear they may have been bred as Christmas presents but failed to sell. With no food or water and filthy coats, the 12 week old English Bull Terrier cross puppies were trapped inside a small box and were very scared and cold.

2012 has seen a whole host of dogs and cats from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home hit the headlines, as a bus-boarding Dalmatian, animals named after Olympic champions, and the charity’s oldest ever dog captured the nation's imagination.

Every year Battersea cares for nearly 9,000 animals, each with their own heart breaking, challenging or inspirational story. As well as winning a special place in a new owners’ heart, many of these dogs and cats go on to become international superstars. Here, Battersea rounds up the homeless dogs and cats that made the news in 2012:

January