Leading animal welfare charity Battersea is calling on residents living near its centre in Old Windsor to become Foster Carers and help dogs and cats whilst they are searching for a new family to call home.
The much-loved charity is looking for compassionate volunteers who can offer a temporary home to animals in need, providing a supportive environment whilst they wait for their loving new home.
Foster Carers play a vital role in a dog or cat’s journey at Battersea, helping animals adapt to life in a home environment, such as four-year-old Spaniel Cross, Honey, who arrived at Battersea Old Windsor following a change in her owner’s circumstances.
Sweet Honey initially found kennel life a little stressful, so she was matched with a dedicated Foster Carer. Although she was a bit unsure at first, Honey soon began to settle into home life.
As her confidence grew, she started to show her cheeky side, enjoying playtime, especially liking a game of fetch with her Foster Carer. It wasn’t long before Honey found her loving home, where she is now thriving, enjoying energetic zoomies around the garden and plenty of toys.
Speaking about her experience as a cat Foster Carer for Battersea, Natalie Lord said:
“I wanted to volunteer my time to a cause that I am passionate about and support a charity that does amazing work. It never feels like work, because watching a cat grow to trust and relax with me is so rewarding, and simply having them in my life is pure joy."
“I really enjoy the process of building a bond with my foster cat and getting to know their character and quirks. There are challenges but also lovely moments and times when they make me laugh!
“Watching my foster cat head off to a new family is bittersweet, but it’s a wonderful milestone and I’m happy knowing they’re getting the loving home they deserve. I think I get as much out of fostering as the cats that I look after get!”
Foster Carers, Nicola Walker and Steven Knight, added:
“Remember the sheer joy of meeting your pet for the first time and bringing him/her home? We've had that repeatedly over the 10 years we’ve been fostering, helping over 130 cats."
"Is it hard passing them onto their forever homes? Yes, but tempered hugely by seeing that unbridled excitement of new owners as they take home their rescue. Here's to another 10 years of fostering."
Kaye Mughal, Centre Manager at Battersea Old Windsor said: “For many of the dogs and cats in our care, adjusting to life in a kennel or cattery can sometimes be slightly overwhelming. Which is why Foster Carers play such an important role, they provide a calmer home setting, where our animals can settle more easily and build the confidence they need to flourish.
“We have an amazing team of dedicated Foster Carers at Battersea; but we need more volunteers to come forward and join our growing network. Not only is fostering vital for our animals but it also allows our centre to have more capacity to help even more animals in need."
“If you meet the criteria and are able to help, we encourage you to consider becoming a Foster Carer and give a dog or cat a temporary home on their journey to finding a loving home.”
Battersea is currently looking for applicants that live near one of its three centres in Brands Hatch, Old Windsor and London, and do not have other pets at home. Applicants will also need access to a car in case the animal they are looking after needs veterinary attention. All Foster Carers will receive animal behaviour training and ongoing support from Battersea, as well as everything needed to look after the animals including food and equipment.
For more information or if you are interested in becoming a Foster Carer for Battersea, please visit: https://www.battersea.org.uk/support-us/fostering
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For further information, images or interviews please contact press@battersea.org.uk
Notes to editors
- At Battersea we offer our love and expert care to dogs and cats who need us by rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals at our centres, and by sharing our knowledge and resources with rescue organisations around the world. We do this because we want to help every dog and cat, everywhere.
- In 2024 Battersea directly cared for 2,766 dogs and 2,454 cats at our three centres. We also helped thousands more through campaigning work, supporting other rescues and animal welfare advocates, and sharing knowledge and advice with pet owners.
- Battersea has three centres based in London; Old Windsor, Berkshire; and Brands Hatch, Kent.
- To find out more visit our website or follow Battersea on Twitter @battersea_ , Instagram @battersea or facebook.com/Battersea