Animal Rescue with Marion Garnett
Dedicated animal expert Marion Garnett, founder of the Ealing Animal Charities Fair, continues her column
THIS week we’re going to talk about partnerships – three different sorts.
Firstly, it’s wonderful news that Battersea Dogs and Cats Home have gone into partnership with Jai Dog Rescue in Thailand. This partnership will make such a difference to the lives of thousands of street dogs in Thailand.
It’s estimated there are six to ten million stray or semi-roaming dogs in Thailand with many suffering a lifetime of hunger, neglect or illness. Mook was one of the lucky ones. She managed to survive an infected uterus which nearly killed her but 80% of these dogs don’t live past adolescence.
Since 2017, Jai Dog Rescue have been working to break the cycle of stray dog suffering in Thailand. So far, they have sterilised and vaccinated over 4000 dogs as well as providing life-saving treatments to hundreds more. But, until now, they haven’t had the resources to bring about large-scale change.
Working together, the partnership between Jai Dog Rescue and Battersea will see the establishment of five trap, neuter, vaccinate and release clinic teams as well as mobile clinics to reach all districts in the central province of Nakhon Nayok within five years. This will help both the animals and the communities in which they live.
As well as providing £1.8m funding for the project, Battersea will share its expertise in running trap, neuter and release programmes to tackle stray dog and cat populations and setting up community engagement programmes.
Now, to partnership number two.
Prince and Ghost are a lurcher partnership and must be homed together. Ghost (eight years) is the more confident of the two around people whereas Prince (four years) needs more time to make friends.
They have good social skills but need basic training to help them settle into their new home. This will include house training and recall. If you’re interested in homing this beautiful pair, see details at battersea.org.uk. Alternatively email bow.rehomers@battersea.org.uk or call 01784 494 443.
Finally, let’s talk about the partnership between a dog and their owner. That’s what Battersea’s Muddy Dog Challenge is all about. The Muddy Dog Challenge is a 2.5K or 5K obstacle course which you can enter either as a dog and human team or on your own.
The nearest Muddy Dog Challenge to us is at Windsor Great Park on September 17/18. This date may seem a long way away but places go quickly and you can register your interest now. If you want to show off your partnership with your hound, see details at battersea.org.uk