Give an extra gift to a pet in need
Paul O’grady backs
PAUL O’grady sheds a tear as he looks into the eyes of injured rescue pup Florence.
Hugging the adorable pug-terrier cross, Paul is still visibly moved when he recalls her harrowing story.
Last year Florence was run over and nearly killed. She was found slumped in the road, covered in cuts, and unable to walk with broken pelvis and a dislocated hip. Her eye was also damaged.
She was taken from Enfield, North London, to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, where she had surgery and months of care from specialists and volunteers.
TV host Paul, 64, formed a close bond with the pup and said: “I will never understand how people can be so cruel to a defenceless dog.
“She had been hit by a car not once, but twice, and left for dead.
“She was so badly injured but she was still so loving and affectionate – it just broke my heart.”
Thanks to dedicated medical care, the sweet-natured dog made an excellent recovery and found a happy new home with a family in Middlesex.
Her new owner Neil Rosewell said: “Despite everything Florence has been through, she is the most loving and affectionate dog we’ve ever known.
“Everywhere we go, we’re stopped by people wanting to stroke and talk to her.”
Emaciated
For the Love of Dogs presenter Paul, an ambassador for the charity for seven years, said the dedicated team at Battersea had nursed Florence back to health. He said: “They found her a loving home and gave her a second chance at life.”
Battersea aims never to turn away a dog or cat in need and that’s why today, Paul wants all Sunday People readers to support our new Christmas fundraiser.
We’ve teamed up with Battersea to launch our Help A Dog Christmas appeal, in association with their own In From The Cold campaign. Each gives Battersea the funds it needs to ensure all the dogs they take in are cared for this Christmas and beyond.
Last winter
14,000 pets were left out in the cold.
But thanks to kindhearted people like you, the staff at
Battersea were able to bring them in to the warmth, give lifesaving care as well as the love and attention they deserve until they are found a new home.
Paul said: “It breaks my heart to see these animals coming in near death.
“But look at how the charity breathes life back into them. “The dogs that come in can be in a shocking condition – stab wounds, cigarette burns. And so skinny because they haven’t eaten, just emaciated.
“The staff work miracles. They get the dog back to health then a really nice person comes along to re-home them.
“I’ve been involved with Battersea since 2012. It’s a brilliant charity but they really do need funds. There are so many dogs in there now. They provide an excellent service. Without them, I don’t know where we’d be with stray dogs, abused dogs, puppy farmed dogs.
Saddest
“The money goes to looking after them. It goes towards the bedding and all the kennels, the dog baskets. All the small things like toys and balls. Plus the vet clinic they have at Battersea and all the medical costs.
“Battersea needs funds to nurse them back to health and find them the loving homes they deserve.”
One such dog is Sparkle, a Staffordshire bull terrier found starved and emaciated in a suitcase by a dog walker and taken to Battersea.
Ali Taylor, Battersea’s head of canine behaviour and training, who has worked at the charity for 27 years, said: “I’ll never forget when she came in, it was like she’d already died. There was just no emotion, nothing there. It was the saddest thing. What made it more upsetting was that Sparkle was so loving and trusting in people. But there was a positive – Sparkle did make it.”
She gained weight and got back to full strength. One of the vet team fostered her until she was re-homed with a couple in Essex. Founded in 1860, Battersea is one of the UK’S oldest rescue centres and has rescued, reunited and re-homed more than three million dogs and cats. Last
&
year, it helped more than 4,000 dogs and this Christmas it will be home to more than 250.
But its level of care is not cheap. Each day it costs the charity £50,000 to care for all the animals across its three centres. With no government funding, it goes through 123 tins of dog food a day and performs 17 operations a week.
Its 800 volunteers and 500 staff don’t just work with dogs who come in injured. They take in any dog, often when the owner’s circumstances have changed, such as loss of accommodation or perhaps allergies. Ali said: “Sometimes people don’t know what they’re taking on and they can’t really commit.
“So the dogs come to us and we find them loving new homes.”
Battersea rescues and re-homes dogs all over the country, from Newcastle, to Leeds, Wales and even Scotland.
Ali said: “We work with a lot of other rescues centres, taking in dogs they don’t have room for and helping with training – as far afield as Sheffield, Doncaster and Carlisle.
“We do a lot of campaign and education work.
“A lot of our work is outreach.
“We take in dogs from anywhere in the country and I have re-homed dogs as far afield as Scotland and Wales. We’re a national charity and help dogs from every corner of the UK.”
Paul knows how amazing rescue dogs are. He has four of his own, including puppy Arfur, who came from Battersea.
Paul said: “Rescue dogs are so loving, it’s almost as if they’re grateful.
“They bond with you in seconds – they’re just wonderful.”
He said: “I’ve got so much respect for the volunteers, the staff – everyone who works at Battersea. They’ll all be in there on Christmas Day, doing their tireless work. They will be giving them a doggy Christmas dinner and make sure they have a special day.
“There are volunteers and dog walkers who have been there for more than 30 years. They do it because they love the animals.
“So come on, Sunday People readers, get donating and help Battersea bring dogs in from the cold this Christmas.”
Christmas appeal