By Harry Mottram: The five acre home for our four-legged friends on Claverton Down is surprisingly large with a shop, reception, exercise areas, enclosures for both creatures plus rooms for the staff and volunteers for training and administration as well as a vet suite amongst other facilities for the welfare of the animals.
Casey Brown, 29, (pictured) is a member of staff at the home having attended university and attained an animal science degree at Hartbury College and a job at Pets at Home.
With the pandemic there was a change in the behavior of the cats and dogs as the home was closed to the public.
“During the lock down we noticed positive changes to the animals,” she said, “they were responding better to veterinary treatment and behavior assessments which we couldn’t ignore so when the world opened back up we made the decision keep it a closed site and only open my appointment. The reception and shops are open and there is a monthly tour which can be booked on the website.”
The home costs £2.1 million a year to maintain and so fundraising is a 12 month of the year activity – currently they are seeking runners for the Bath Half Marathon – this year actress Kerry Howard of TV’s Beyond Paradise fame is running for the animal home – there’s also a sponsored Wag Walk on September 3.
The rest of the cash is raised from legacies, bequests and grants – plus donations from the public.
Casey said her first dog was a Jack Russell called Riley who lived to 16 years of age – about half of her life – and her first cat was called Tinks.
With emotion in her voice she stressed how pets have a strong bond with people and can be a comfort to their owners and have a huge impact of their lives.
The home has a wide variety of cats and dogs for adoption – some have health issues, some are lost dogs and stray cats, and some are ideal for families and others seek a quieter home.
Neutering is a useful service at the home – at low cost rates to encourage those on a budget – plus there’s an outreach project for the community and schools to help educate the public about responsible ownership. For more visit https://www.bathcatsanddogshome.org.uk/
Bath Voice Monthly Newspaper is distributed free to thousands of homes and some supermarkets – distributed from the first of the month. Harry Mottram is the News Editor
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