The
Blue Cross is Britain's pet charity, providing practical support,
information and advice for pet and horse owners.
The Blue Cross is a registered UK animal welfare charity which aims
to provide practical care for animals, highlight the benefits of
animal companionship and promote respect for animals.
The charity was started in 1897 and on 15th May 1906 The Blue cross
opened its first animal hospital in London's Victoria. That first
animal hospital has recently celebrated its centenary.
When The Blue Cross began its charity work it’s main concern
was the welfare of the many working horses in London. The Blue Cross
continues to care for the needs of horses but in today’s world
the focus is on the growing number of household pets.
Today the charity concentrates their animal charity work on:
- treating animals whose owners cannot afford private veterinary
services
- finding permanent homes for unwanted or abandoned animals
- educating the public in responsible animal ownership
- promoting the benefits of companion animal ownership
Veterinary
Care
The Blue Cross runs four UK animal hospitals, three in London and
one in Grimsby, providing top-quality veterinary care to pets whose
owners cannot afford private animal care. This essential service
is only possible thanks to the generous donations and charity fundraising
efforts of supporters.
The
Blue Cross veterinary services are available to pet owners who are
on means-tested benefits or low incomes. Treatment is provided free
of charge, although a donation towards its cost is always welcome.
Frequently
asked veterinary care questions
Many
of today’s Blue Cross clients are elderly pet owners, for
whom their pet is an important companion and pet ownership is a
vital lifeline. These elderly owners would often be unable to afford
pet care without the support of the services provided by The Blue
Cross.
The
Blue Cross also has a fleet of animal ambulances to transport animals
owned by housebound people to and from the London hospitals, a series
of mobile clinics, and out-of-hours emergency services at the Victoria
and Grimsby hospitals.
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Over
100 years of top-quality veterinary care to pets whose owners
cannot afford private animal care |
Adoption Centres
In addition to the four animal hospitals, The Blue Cross also have
12 animal adoption centres throughout the UK that re-home the animals
in its care. The staff are all trained in animal re-homing and always
aim to find new owners who are a perfect match for the animals in
their care.
“Being given up for adoption is stressful enough for any
animal, so we make every effort to ensure that we are re-homing
the animal into a happy new home that will last a lifetime. The
last thing an adopted animal needs is to be rejected again”
says The Blue Cross. “In recent years the percentage of
re-homed animals returned to us has fallen dramatically. We believe
our commitment to careful matchmaking is responsible for this encouraging
trend.”
Read about the ten
stages of re-homing.
The Blue Cross deals with the re-homing of cats, dogs, small pets
and also horses, ponies and donkeys.
Animals
for adoption
If you adopt an animal from The Blue Cross and need advice about
caring for your pet, their trained staff can help with most general
queries about day-to-day pet care. The Blue Cross also have specially
trained staff who can deal with a variety of behavioural problems.
Caring for Horses
Equine welfare remains at the heart of the work of The Blue Cross.
The Blue Cross has three dedicated equine welfare centres in Oxfordshire,
East Sussex and Derbyshire. Their team of specially trained staff
care for up to 85 horses and ponies at any one time, and monitor
350 more being fostered in homes across the country.
Pet Bereavement Support
The bond between a companion animal and owner is important, resulting
in feelings of deep loss and grief when the pet passes away. The
Blue Cross understands the need for support after the loss of a
pet. Their Pet Bereavement Support service helps people through
this difficult time.
The
Pet Bereavement Support Service is a telephone helpline and email
service dedicated to offering support and understanding to bereaved
pet owners through a national network of trained volunteer befrienders.
All calls and emails are treated confidentially.
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Need
to talk?
Sometimes it helps to share your feelings with someone who
knows from personal experience how distressing the loss
of a pet can be, and who will listen confidentially, with
compassion and without judgement. |
Support
Line:
0800 096 6606 |
Email
Support:
pbssmail@bluecross.org.uk |
The
service is run by The Blue Cross in conjunction with The Society
for Companion Animal Studies. It is a member of the British Association
for Counselling and Psychotherapy. The service is also a member
of the Telephone Helpline Association, and is supported by the
British Small Animal Veterinary Association.
Pet
Care Advice and Tips
The Blue Cross provides a national pet care advice and information
service, giving expert advice and support to pet owners for free.
“We
aim to ensure the welfare of Britain’s pets by promoting
responsible animal care, and this service provides expert advice
and tips to keep your pet healthy and happy.”
Visit All
About Pets – The national pet care information service.
Support The Blue Cross
The Blue Cross is a UK registered animal charity. They do not
receive any government funding and are totally reliant on donations
and fundraising events.
To support the work of The Blue cross you can fill out an online
donation
form.
The Blue Cross is always in need of reliable and dedicated volunteers.
The work is often difficult and demanding, but also deeply rewarding.
If you think you can help The Blue Cross by volunteering, visit
their volunteer
page.
Fundraising events are an important source of income. The Blue
Cross organises a number of fundraising events throughout the
country, from parachute jumps to animal shows and open days. If
you have any suggestions for Blue Cross fundraising events, or
wish to take part in one yourself, visit their fundraising
page.
The Blue Cross is proud to say that 83% of all donations go directly
towards helping animals in need.
Contact Information
Blue Cross Head Office: Shilton Road, Burford, Oxon OX18 4PF
Tel: 01993 822651
Fax: 01993 823083
Email: info@bluecross.org.uk
www.bluecross.org.uk
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Archive
photos provided by
The Blue Cross for use by D for Dog. Images must not be
used or reproduced. |
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