Mayhew has been supporting homeless charity, Crisis, for over 17 years and is a valuable part of Crisis at Christmas, where homeless people can receive temporary shelter over the Christmas period.

Not just for their owners, Crisis offers a special service for dogs during this time. The dogs are brought by their owners to specially built, temporary kennels, over the Christmas period. Each dog has their own pen and plenty of comfortable bedding, quilts and blankets where they are cared for by Mayhew and Crisis volunteers while their owners receive support from Crisis.

In December, Mayhew’s Vet, Dr Emma Robinson, and Animal Welfare Officers, AJ Ford and Tania Mazzoni, attended Crisis at Christmas. All of the dogs were given a thorough health examination to ensure they were in good physical health and were given flea and worming treatments. They were also provided with food, treats and light up safety collars to make them visible at night, waterproof jackets, coats and leads.

Dr Emma Robinson said: “This is a great opportunity for the owners to make sure their dog undergoes a health check. We are able to identify and monitor ongoing health issues and we can also give the dogs the preventative veterinary care that they need.”

“It’s been an amazing experience for me and I hope I can do it all again next year.”

Our Animal Welfare Officer, AJ Ford, said: “We work with the homeless and their dogs all year round and we are honoured to help and support Crisis at Christmas again this year.”

“We can detect early on any health issues that the dogs may have so that we can refer them to our on-site Vet Clinic. We also offer free neutering and flea and worming treatments. We strive to help and support vulnerable people in need with their pets and ultimately keep the owner and animal together.”

We also run a Pet Refuge programme, which provides support for pet owners facing a personal crisis and with no option of help to care for their pet. This may be for a number of reasons including hospitalisation, rehab, detox for alcohol and drug addiction, or even those sent to prison.Pet Refuge involves our Animal Welfare Officers ensuring that the animal receives the best possible care and is placed in a safe environment for the duration of the crisis period. For many people facing a personal crisis, our service is a lifeline.

To find out more about our work with the homeless visit here or please consider buying a virtual gift to help us help more homeless people and their animals.