Bath Cats and Dogs Home is responding to the animal rescue crisis with a new programme of free workshops for primary schools as part of its ongoing outreach work in the community.
Fiona Netto talking to children at Twerton Infant School | Photo © BCDH
The charity saw a 12% increase in the intake of rescue pets in 2022, due to the cost-of-living crisis, and services continued to be stretched to capacity in 2023, coupled with the added pressure of 15% fewer dog adoptions last year.
The charity has to raise over £2 million in funds each year to continue operating.
In the workshops, pupils learn the five essential welfare needs of pets, with the long-term aim that future generations have a good understanding of pet care responsibilities and fewer pets are handed into animal rescue centres.
The charity, based at Claverton, has so far run the fun and interactive sessions at Twerton Infant School and Nursery, St Martin’s Garden School and Combe Down Primary School in Bath, and at Castle Mead Primary School in Trowbridge.
Bath Cats and Dogs Home is now inviting more primary schools to benefit from its new workshops which cover how to keep pets happy and healthy, how to be safe around dogs, and engaging activities such as memory games and drawing sessions.
Fiona Netto, education and outreach manager at Bath Cats and Dogs Home, said: “We often learn our love of animals and how to care for them from a young age, so we’ve developed these workshops specifically to inspire pupils aged four to nine to understand and care about animal welfare, and the importance of empathy towards animals.”
Bath Cats and Dogs Home’s outreach work to support pets and their owners in the community includes the Together Project which provides free, monthly veterinary clinics run by volunteers from Bath Vets to support the pets of people who are homeless or vulnerably housed in Bath and being supported by Genesis Trust or Julian House.
The charity also runs a Low-Cost Neutering Programme, Emergency Vet Care Financial Assistance Fund and provides monthly deliveries of surplus pet food to local foodbanks in Bath, Trowbridge and Frome.
Teachers interested in requesting a classroom workshop from Bath Cats and Dogs Home can email [email protected].
