Naturewatch Foundation
Naturewatch Foundation - Advancing Animal Welfare
Earlier this year, applications opened for our first ever Pet Rescue Grant. We set up the grant to help frontline animal rescues help pets who’ve been exploited for profit.
We were inundated with applications from rescues across the UK and choosing who to award the grant to was extremely difficult. But we’re excited to introduce you to not one, but three, fantastic recipients.
Before we tell you all about them, we want to say thank you so much for your support. It’s your generosity that makes the Pet Rescue Grant possible.
Bliss Cavalier Rescue
We’ve chosen Bliss Cavalier Rescue to receive a grant of £5,000 to help with veterinary fees for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCs) who have been rescued from the pet
trade. Because they’re bred to look cute, CKCs often suffer from serious health problems, which can make the cost of rehabilitating them particularly high. The charity will ring-fence the funds to help pay for veterinary treatment for up to five ex-breeding dogs.
Bliss Cavalier Rescue was established in July 2018, and is a registered charity in England dedicated to rescuing and advocating for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. They focus on improving their welfare and health, offering rehoming services across England and Wales. Their online education reaches Cavalier owners globally, promoting responsible ownership and adoption. Unfortunately, Cavaliers often suffer from hereditary health issues due to irresponsible breeding practices, including neurological conditions like chiari malformation and syringomyelia, as well as various other ailments such as mitral valve disease, periodontal disease, and pancreatitis. The charity strives to address these challenges through education, advocacy, and support for adopters throughout the dog’s life, way beyond adoption.
Founder, Rebecca Mosley, said, “We would very much like to thank each and every supporter of Naturewatch Foundation who has enabled us to benefit from this grant. The Cavaliers arriving in rescue need so much veterinary care and this grant donation will go a long way to helping a number of dogs that have been rescued from dire circumstances. You are helping us transform lives and we are so incredibly grateful to you all.”
Axholme Cat Rescue
A grant of £2,850 has been awarded to Axholme Cat Rescue in Lincolnshire to help them pay for a new cattery roof. This small charity takes in a whopping 100 cats and kittens each year. They’d originally raised the funds for the roof at the end of last year, but needed to use the money to support new intakes, including cats and kittens who’d been impacted by illicit breeding and selling.
In their own words, Skye May front the charity told us, “We are a small cat rescue charity run entirely by volunteers and funded by the generosity of local people through fund-raising activities and donations. Our mission is to relieve the suffering of cats and kittens in need of care and attention in areas of South Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and Lincolnshire, in particular, by providing and maintaining rescue homes and other facilities for the reception, care, treatment and rehoming of such animals. We take in around 100+ cats per year, for a range of reasons, including cats and kittens who have suffered low welfare, neglect and cruelty.
“Sadly, we always have a waiting list for cats needing to come into care, and therefore we know how much the rescue is needed. As well as responding to their health needs, we work with the cats/kittens to socialise them through gentle handling and lots of stimulating playtimes to re-build their trust in people, so that they can be successfully re-homed to loving families and be given their much-deserved second chance.
“We have recently accepted numerous cats and kittens impacted by the pet trade. The funds we had allocated for replacing the roof in the hygiene area and play run were used to pay for the care of these neglected cats who arrived in poor condition.
“One such case was a little three-month-old kitten we called Bap. She arrived at the vet to be sexed ready for selling when the vet quickly diagnosed an anal prolapse. She was also underweight and very scared. After receiving the £300+ quoted fee for the operation and not including post-op care, the person signed the kitten over to the vet. The vets rang us asking if we could take this kitten into our care and fund the treatment she needed. They indicated the person regularly asks them to sex kittens which have been taken from an industrial estate with the intention of selling. After several weeks of careful rehabilitation, Bap is now flourishing and starting to play. Her trust in people is growing and she is now enjoying lots of cuddles from our volunteers – and they are very happy to provide them!
“We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the wonderful supporters of Naturewatch Foundation for enabling the award of this grant. The funds will now allow us to ensure our rescue facilities are structurally robust, safe and well maintained. The run roof and repairs will give vital enrichment, stimulation and exercise to cats in our rescue, greatly improving their mental and physical wellbeing. On behalf of the volunteers, little kitten Bap, and all the other cats and kittens in our care, now and in the future – THANK YOU!”
The Rabbit Residence Rescue
Hertfordshire-based charity, The Rabbit Residence Rescue, has been awarded £5,000 to support the rehabilitation of ‘designer’ rabbits who have been bred
to have extreme features. Sadly, rabbits with flat-faces (or brachycephaly) and lop-ears often suffer from painful ear, eye and dental issues. The funds will help pay for the extra veterinary treatments these rabbits often need.
The Rabbit Residence Rescue complies with BABBA ethical rescue and sanctuary standards for rabbits. They rehome around 100 bunnies each year, as well as providing sanctuary to long-term residents who can’t be rehomed due to complex health or behavioural needs.
Trustee, Lea Facey, said, “Thank you so much for awarding us a grant towards veterinary fees for rabbits rescued from neglectful situations, and also extreme breeds such as lop-eared and brachycephalic rabbits. We are particularly appreciative as these rabbits often require additional costly treatments prior to rehoming to allow them to have good ongoing quality of life.”
Pet Rescue Grant 2024
Our first ever Pet Rescue Grant has been a huge success, and we can’t wait to update you later in the year about how the funds have been spent by the deserving recipients. In the meantime, here’s a round-up of this year’s grant.
The Pet Rescue Grant will return in 2025.
If you want to learn more about our work please visit our Companion Animal pages.
The post Meet the recipients of our first ever Pet Rescue Grant! first appeared on Naturewatch Foundation and is written by Morwenna.