Battersea has worked, and will
continue to work, collaboratively
to ensure high standards of
animal care. Against the difficult
and ever-changing landscape of
2020, we worked with the Canine
& Feline Sector Group (CFSG),
Animal Welfare Network Wales
(AWNW) and Companion Animal
Welfare Group Wales (CAWGW) to
provide guidance to pet owners,
businesses, and professionals
on what could be done legally
and safely during lockdown. This
included a suite of infographics,
which we distributed across our
social media channels to reach
a large audience of owners and
professionals.
Battersea also co-ran the
All-Party Parliamentary Group
on Cats (APGOCATS) with Cats
Protection and Blue Cross, to
deliver a joint report on the
link between cats and tackling
loneliness. The report was well
received by politicians, media,
and other stakeholders.
We provided support to the
Department for Environment,
Food & Rural Affairs (Defra)
for their ‘Petfished’ campaign
against unscrupulous breeders
selling puppies or kittens
online and duping well-meaning
buyers into believing the animal
had a happy, healthy start in
life. We contributed to several
national press articles on the
surge in puppies being bought
during lockdown, discussing
the risks of buying pets online
and encouraging people to think
rescue first. Interviews with
our spokespeople included The
Guardian, BBC Radio 5 Live,
BBC Radio 4 You and Yours,
and Times Radio.
Battersea continued to
lead the sector membership
body the Association of Dogs and
Cats Homes (ADCH), of which
our Chief Executive served as
Chair during the year, providing
essential support at a critical
time for the sector. As well as
leading the establishment of an
emergency fund, we carried out
two major surveys to understand
how ADCH’s members were
coping with and responding to
the pandemic. We also provided
support and planning for a
nationwide food drive to secure
and distribute free pet food to
rescues across the country.
IN FOCUS - Sold Too Soon
One of the biggest impacts the pandemic
has had on animal welfare has been the
increased sale of puppies and kittens. With
so many people suddenly spending a lot
more time at home, it’s only natural that
lots of people started thinking about getting
a new companion. However, the sale of
puppies and kittens online is a trade that we
see the sad consequences of all too often
here at Battersea.
Last year, a sickly kitten called Alani
was rushed straight to our clinic when her
owners found a lump only two days after
they bought her. Local vets had diagnosed
her with an umbilical hernia, something that
would require expensive treatment her new
owners simply could not afford. On arrival,
Alani was rushed to our London centre’s
operating theatre where Battersea’s expert
vets were able to treat the hernia. Alani was
then cared for by a foster carer until she was
ready to go to a new, loving home.
Shaun Opperman, Battersea’s
Veterinary Director, says, “Alani was able to
get the treatment she so badly needed. Her
previous owners made the right decision
by handing her into Battersea as they were
unable to afford the veterinary procedure.
They’d only had her for two days and hadn’t
realised how young she was — far too young
to be parted from her mother.
“Sadly, this isn’t the first time we
have seen animals like Alani being brought
into Battersea needing urgent medical
care. Animal lovers across the country
have been duped into handing over cash to
unscrupulous sellers who sell pets without
any thought for their welfare.”
Battersea shared Alani’s story with the
media to highlight the risks of buying pets
online, and our Ambassadors David Gandy,
Amanda Holden and Paul O’Grady added
their signatures to an open letter backing
the Government’s Petfished campaign. We
also shared advice on our website and social
media channels for those who were thinking
of buying a puppy or kitten.
Battersea has a respected, authoritative, and influential voice with a
proven record in bringing about policy and legislative change to benefit
animal welfare. Despite significant challenges, 2020 was no exception.
In January, we were pleased to see the Animal Welfare
(Sentencing) Bill introduced by Chris Loder MP as a Private Member’s
Bill, backed by the Government. This called for an increase in maximum
sentences for animal cruelty, from six months to five years.
Demonstrating our ability to successfully build political
relationships, we organised a Battersea reception in Parliament in
partnership with Sir Oliver Heald MP. This was attended by over 100
Parliamentarians including Animal Welfare Minister Lord Goldsmith and
Bill sponsor Chris Loder MP, setting us up well for the Bill successfully
progressing through Parliament and gaining Royal Assent in 2021.
In Scotland, Members of Scottish Parliament (MSP) passed
into law the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers)
(Scotland) Act 2020 in June, which makes provision to introduce fiveyear
sentences for animal cruelty in Scotland. This followed three years
of proactive engagement by Battersea with MSPs and officials.
We also continued to highlight issues around pet-friendly
properties and fair pet ownership for renters, in particular supporting
MP Andrew Rosindell’s ‘Jasmine’s Law’ campaign, to eradicate ‘no
pet’ clauses in tenancy agreements. The Bill echoed many of the calls
made in our own Pet Friendly Properties campaign, and we provided a
briefing from which several parts were used in Mr Rosindell’s speech
in the Chamber.
IN FOCUS - Going Virtual For Our
Party Conference
The Covid-19 outbreak caused
huge disruption to political
engagement, and planned
events and MP visits to our
centres had to be cancelled or
postponed indefinitely. Adapting
to this, we hosted a virtual event
attended by 17 Parliamentarians
including MPs from both sides
of the House, Peers, Members
of the Scottish Parliament,
Northern Ireland Assembly,
London Assembly Members and
councillors. This event, which
received positive feedback from
attendees, was the first to feature
a specially created 360-degree
virtual behind the scenes
tour of Battersea’s London
centre alongside a Q&A on the
operational and organisational
impact of Covid-19 at Battersea
and in the wider sector.
Support For
The Rescue Sector
We are one in a network of hundreds of dog and cat rescue
organisations, large and small, across the UK, and in 2020 we
continued to support our sector colleagues.
Across the year we worked with national media outlets to talk
about the impact of Covid-19 on the rescue sector, at a time when few
others were doing so. Media coverage included a Reuters package used
across Mail Online, Telegraph Online, Yahoo and the Daily Telegraph,
and a feature on the BBC News website.
In July, we took the proactive decision to draft a joint briefing
for the EFRA Committee on the impact of Covid-19. All major sector
organisations added their names to strengthen our position. We pitched
the idea of the Committee holding a short inquiry, which was supported.
We set out to better understand the impact of the pandemic on
the sector so we could draft guidance to MPs and set out the case for
support. In December we published a new Battersea report to provide
evidence of the impact of the pandemic on companion animals. The
report makes a strong case for the Government to consider urgent
financial support ahead of a potentially challenging period for smaller
rescues. The report achieved 250 media mentions across national,
broadcast, online and print media, with a total reach of 21 million.
IN FOCUS - Covid Crisis Hits Rescues Everywhere
In an average year, Hope Rescue in South Wales would take in
900 or more dogs. In 2020, this reduced to 600. The rescue
centre was already struggling after Storm Dennis left it needing
major repair works, but once lockdown was announced, Hope
Rescue lost major sources of income overnight, such as boarding
kennel fees. The charity was able to apply for emergency funding
from the Welsh Government, without which it says it would have
potentially faced closure within the first three months of lockdown.
A recent survey by ADCH found that 36% of rescue
organisations reported a drop in income of over 50%, compared
to 47% in May 2020, with 13% reporting no impact on income.
This suggests rescues are adapting either through fundraising in
different ways or taking advantage of the ADCH and other grants.
