The charity serves a surprising 650 square mile area across Bath, northeast Somerset, and parts of Wiltshire.
Every animal admitted to their care has a veterinary health check, given flea, worm & vaccination treatments, and neutered if necessary. Each animal has a behavioural assessment and an individual care plan to improve their welfare and their chances of adoption. There is an onsite clinic where the vets can perform surgeries and administer essential medical care. There are significant costs incurred for this - it’s entirely down to the staff, volunteers, and donors that keep this place going. And what an amazing job they do!
So far this year, 568 animals have been taken into their care, 100 pets have been reunited with their owners, and 404 animals have been rehomed. Not too ‘tabby’!
So, what did we get up to while we were on site???
On what felt like the hottest day of the year, we all met early in the morning and after introductions and a health and safety initiation on arrival, the Bechtle team rolled up their sleeves and got to work painting and maintaining the wooden enclosures to make sure they were weatherproofed for the coming winter months. This needs to be done regularly and as the site grows to keep up with the demand of the service, there are more and more fences to maintain. The staff at BC&D were super friendly hosts and told us about the importance of volunteers coming in to reduce the workload of the people who are employed there. The skilled care of the animals is the priority for them, and we were really happy to take this job off their hands!
After the maintenance work was done and a much needed meal deal, we got a tour of the site and met some celebrities (Bluebell, we’ll be back for an autograph.) We had some fun handing out treats and helping some of the dogs with their socialisation training, but we couldn’t ignore how much effort goes into the part of the rescue, rehab, and rehoming of such a large number of animals. I think we all left very impressed at how clean and comfortable the enclosures were, this certainly doesn’t happen by accident!
It was so rewarding to be part of the local community who support this cause- from knitting groups who provide blankets for the animals to individuals who volunteer to sit and interact with some of the lonely cats!
Thank you to the team at Bath Cats and Dogs Home for having us, and to Bechtle for giving us the chance to use business hours for this! For anyone who would like to support the cause, please find all the info on their website:
https://www.bathcatsanddogshome.org.uk/
