DEFRA Minister witnesses Battersea’s work on the front line

Lord De Mauley, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State responsible for animal welfare visited Battersea Dogs & Cats Home this week and saw first-hand how Battersea deals with the consequences of irresponsible dog ownership.

The Minister who took up his post last summer, toured Battersea’s iconic London centre with Chief Executive Claire Horton and was able to view the charity’s work on the front line of animal welfare and how the Home cares for thousands of lost, unwanted, and abandoned dogs and cats every year.

Battersea takes in every type of dog, and not just those that are easy to rehome. Many have been abused, neglected, or trained to be aggressive and some are simply handed in by owners who can no longer afford to look after them.

Amongst the dogs introduced to the Minister was six to twelve month old Bill, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross who was originally found as an un-chipped stray on a bus in South London and was brought into Battersea on Christmas Eve.

The Minister also saw that many more animals coming through Battersea’s gates could be reclaimed by their owners if they had only taken the time to tag or microchip their pet with their contact details. Sadly only 32% of dogs and 17% of cats arrive at the Home with up to date identification.