We ❤ Battersea Dogs & Cats Home!

We’re a bunch of animal lovers at Team Tatty, so ahead of the launch of our NEW jewellery collaboration, we caught up with Rebecca, Liz and Lindsey from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home to find out more about the incredible work that they do. Read on to discover the history behind Battersea, some fun characters that are looking to be rehomed and see where the money raised from our collection will be spent...

Tell us a little about the history behind Battersea Dogs & Cats Home… Battersea Dogs & Cats Home was founded in 1860. Originally called The Temporary Home for Lost and Starving Dogs, it was first established by Mary Tealby, to deal with the enormous problem of stray dogs on the streets of London. The charity began accepting cats in 1883, and changed the name to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in 2002. The Home has now cared for more than 3.1 million dogs and cats and has a volunteer force of over 1,200. - Rebecca Fisher, Rehoming & Welfare Manager

How many animals do you care for each year? Battersea has three sites: our famous London Home and two more centres in Old Windsor, Berkshire, and Brands Hatch, Kent. Across these three sites, we care for over 8,000 animals each year, including nearly 5,000 dogs and over 3,000 cats. On average 13 dogs and 9 cats arrive at our three centres every day. - Rebecca

What drew you to working with Tatty Devine on a partnership? Tatty Devine makes such gorgeous jewellery – so eye-catching and instantly recognisable – that we knew their designs would be great. People love their dogs and cats so much that there’s no doubt they will want to wear beautifully made little reminders of them each day! And if a proportion of the proceeds goes towards helping Battersea look after all of our dogs and cats each year, then that is just marvellous. - Liz Tait, Director of Fundraising

£3 from each piece of jewellery sold from our collection will be donated straight to Battersea. How will this money be spent? Battersea receives no government funding at all and so all of our resources come from the incredibly generous donations from the public and partnerships like this one with Tatty Devine. A few pounds helps us to feed either a dog or a cat or keep our kennels warm and cosy during the winter. Many of the animals that come to Battersea are strays and so we don’t know anything about them when they arrive. The incredible money raised by sales of the Battersea Tatty Devine jewellery collaboration helps our vets to check each and every animal so that we can create the most informative profile possible of that animal for their future owners. - Liz

Today is National Black Cat Day! Why are black cats harder to rehome than others? Black cats always prove harder for us to rehome. In 2015, black cats took around 15% longer to leave our London centre than their ginger or tabby counterparts. Anecdotally, we have heard people say that black cats are more inscrutable as it’s harder to read their facial expressions, and we’ve even heard that they might be less popular because they are harder to photograph. But the most common theme seems to be because of the superstitious factors, that black cats are associated with bad luck. At Battersea we love all cats equally! And can tell you from experience that black cats are as lovable and as cheeky as any other type. - Lindsey Quinlan, Head of Cattery

Which fun characters are keeping you on your toes in the home at the moment? Dapper Domestic Short-hair Boyd is all dressed up in his finest tuxedo, and is waiting for his new family to sweep him off his feet. This one year old fellow is a sweet cat who loves to play, and will carry his toys off in his mouth once he’s caught them. Boyd is looking for a home with a garden to explore. He would be suited to a home where he can be the only cat, and doesn’t have experience of living with a dog so would prefer to settle in at home in a peaceful dog-free environment! Boyd can be a little nervous and enjoys his independence so a calm, tranquil home life is the dream for this gentle younger gentleman. - Lindsey

Sweetie is a one year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier currently at our London site. She is a sweet girl who lives up to her name in many ways! She is a typical high energy young Staffie, but she also has a sensitive side. Sweetie absolutely loves toys, and would love to live with someone who is around most of the of the time to play with her. Food and toys will also prove to be helpful in aiding with Sweetie’s training, as she likes to be bribed! Sweetie is a charming girl but needs experienced owners who can help her channel her enthusiasm in productive ways. The lucky family who takes Sweetie home will need to work on her training but will also wonder how they ever survived without her. - Rebecca

How can others get involved in supporting Battersea Dogs & Cats Home? Battersea simply could not exist without our supporters. From the volunteers who walk and feed our dogs and socialise with our cats, to the foster carers who take the most nervous or vulnerable animals home for a short time, to the fundraisers who shake buckets, jump out of planes or bake cakes, there are thousands of people all across the country who help us care for the thousands of lost, abandoned and unwanted animals who arrive at our gates every year. If you would like to read more about the different ways you can help support us, please visit our website. - Rebecca

Shop the NEW Battersea Dogs & Cats Home jewellery collection meow.

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Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is a registered charity. Charity No. 206394

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