A Christmas Miracle

When Elizabeth Allison adopted a kitten from Woodside in June 2014 she was overjoyed. 

She named the completely black kitten Archie and he soon settled in well with Elizabeth’s other cats – in fact he was a real charmer! Archie loved his new forever home and all was well until June 2015 when Archie was taken for his booster vaccination, after which he started to act strangely.

Archie went missing a week after his booster on June 10th and Elizabeth was frantic with worry. She did everything possible to find Archie but finally ended up thinking the worst.

A vet suggested that Archie may have even eaten some pollen, however Archie hadn’t been sick before he went missing. 

On December 12th Elizabeth received a call from a lady living around 5 minutes away to say that Archie was in her garden! Elizabeth knew it was Archie as she had made sure that his name and telephone number were on his collar. Archie had been visiting the lady’s garden for a few days and she had fed him as she had cats herself.

Words couldn’t express how delighted Elizabeth was to find her beloved cat. Archie was soon checked over by a vet and found to be in good shape considering that he had been missing for 6 months! No one will ever know what Archie got up to during his adventures but this story is proof that miracles really do happen at Christmas! 

Miss Marple finds her forever home!

We are happy to announce that our wonderful Miss Marple has just been adopted by a loving new family! Miss Marple, a petite Staffordshire bull terrier, was nearly 9 years old when she came to us here at Woodside. She had been transferred to us from another RSPCA centre, and was experiencing tummy troubles which was causing her stress.

Despite her illness, she was a friendly, lovable dog who took to our staff immediately. She was very calm and strong, and after a controlled diet and some medicine she soon got better. Her relationships with the staff grew and she soon became best friends with everyone, showing her cheeky side when she was let off the lead. Playtime was the most important time for her.

While living at the centre, she received a number of inquiries. People loved her for her cheerful attitude and friendliness towards humans. She was reserved by an interested party, but unfortunately she didn’t get on well with their other dog. But it wasn’t long before her new family came to take her home. She connected with them instantly and we knew that it was meant to be.

It has only been a few days but we know that she is immensely enjoying her new home– seeing pictures of her with her family she looks happier than ever! She has been enjoying off lead walks, plenty of toys and chews and a lovely comfy bed. She wasn’t the prettiest girl on the re-homing block and not the most desirable breed type, but this just proves when you give a dog chance and take a closer look you can find the perfect companion.

Think you can give a dog like Miss Marple a loving new home? Follow the link below to meet a few furry friends who are still looking for their forever family or feel free to pop by the centre to meet them for yourselves! http://www.rspcaleicester.org.uk/adopt.aspx

Christmas at Woodside

It’s almost that time again for our Christmas at Woodside annual event on Saturday the 5th of December 4-7pm! 

Christmas Day is a time for being surrounded by the love of friends and family, but for the hundreds of animals who are still in search of their forever home, it can be quite a lonely time. Here at Woodside, we work tirelessly over the festive season to make sure that it is just as special for all our furry residents. Every year, we host our own fundraising event so that you can share some Yuletide cheer with our animals!

It’s set be a cracker of a day with lots of beautiful craft stalls and other homemade goodies, and all for a wonderful Claus.

Not only can you meet all of our animals, but you can also meet Santa himself to tell him how well behaved you have been this year! This will be a great family photo opportunity including whimsical tales from Santa’s workshop in the past year that will unveil some little secrets that you won’t want to miss!

Take shelter from the frosty air in our Woodside Tea Room where you can enjoy a classic homemade soup and a roll followed by delicious cakes or a hearty mince pie with a warm glass of mulled wine. If you’re feeling really decadent, you can treat yourself with a style change at our 'pop-up' salon with the fantastic team from Barrie Stephen.

Why not remember a loved one 'animal or human' by dedicating a star on Woodside’s very own tree.
Christmas is a special time for everyone, and the money raised at this event will go towards making sure our animals are safe and happy here at Woodside. They need your love and support to keep their spirits high and the merriment flowing!

If you think you might be able to give a Woodside animal the loving family they’ve been dreaming of this festive season why not pop by the centre and see the lovely furry faces that are just waiting to woof, meow and scurry their way into your home and heart.

If you would like to donate a prize for a tombola, bake a cake for our tea room or would like to help us create a magical event in any other way then please contact Steve on 0116 2324932 or email fundraising@rspca.org.uk for more information.

Charlie Dwyer Passes Away

Today we have a story that will both warm and break your heart. Bob Dwyer and his family have written to us about Charlie, a lab/retriever cross who they adopted from Woodside in 2003. 

Even at just a few weeks old Charlie was a gentle, loving dog. He absolutely captivated the Dwyer family when they met him for the first time. They just couldn’t tear themselves away. They came back to see him at Woodside many more times during the adoption process, taking him to visit the other animals living at the centre. Charlie was immensely fond of the rabbits and would look over them for hours. He made friends with every animal and human he met, and would continue doing so for years to come.

In 2005, when the Dwyers moved permanently to Spain, Charlie went with them. At only two years old, he was embarking on a traveling adventure, and he was raring to go. There was only one problem. Baby Charlie was suffering from bouts of colitis, the cause of which was never identified despite veterinary efforts. Despite these difficulties, Charlie was always a happy little boy, and for nearly 12 years he was the family’s best friend and most loyal companion.

Along the way and with Charlie’s help, the family also adopted and raised three formerly feral kittens, who became used to sharing the house with humans and Charlie, and grew to love their new canine friend for his warmth and kindness. Even when out walking, Charlie always seemed to remember his earliest encounter with those rabbits at the Woodside Animal Shelter, never chasing them but just pointing and staring until they hopped away.
 
Very sadly and suddenly, Charlie died after a very short illness. He was just a few months away from his 12th birthday. His passing has left an un-fillable gap for the Dwyers and for us here at Woodside, but we will never forget the time he spent with us. We were all very privileged to know him.

Charlie is just one of the many animals we have re-homed during recent years who have provided constant love and happiness to their new families. If you want to adopt a pet like Charlie, why not pop down to the centre and meet our residents?

Follow the link to see just a few of the furry faces who are waiting to be your new best friend www.rspcaleicester.org.uk/adopt 

The importance of getting your cat chipped and snipped

As many of you will be aware, throughout the whole of this month we have been running a Chip & Snip campaign to encourage cat owners to get their cats micro-chipped and neutered.

Getting your cat neutered is important for a whole range of reasons and we caught up with our Branch Operations Manager, Jade Burton, to find out her thoughts on the subject.

Why is it so important for cat owners to get their cats “chipped and snipped”?
Getting cats chipped and snipped means ensuring they are micro-chipped and neutered. All animal charities are currently facing high numbers of cats and kittens needing help and we have to try to reduce this number.  At Woodside we are licensed to take in 72 adults cats at any one time although litters of kitten count as 1 adult, so this will take our total higher. At Woodside and in foster we are currently caring for over 100 cats which is why we need your help.

Ensuring your cat is micro-chipped also means we can reunite lost cats and, providing the chip is kept up to date, the chip details can also help us keep track of any medical needs listed on the microchip.

Approximately how many stray cats do Woodside receive through their doors every year?
In 2014 we received over 500 stray cats and kittens and we anticipate similar numbers this year. However, we don't just take in stray cats, we also take in cats that have been signed over from their owners who for whatever reason no longer want their cat. Sadly this number has gone up significantly over the last few years.

What will be the consequences if the public continue to leave their cats un-neutered?
The population of cats will continue to grow. That's why we also feel it's important to dispel the many myths surrounding neutering cats such as:

• Female cats need to have had a litter before they can be neutered: This is not true! Females can become pregnant at around 4 months of age regardless of whether they have had a litter or not.

• Related cats will not mate: This is not true! Siblings and related cats will mate and can and will produce offspring if given the chance.

It is also worth noting that one unneutered female cat can be responsible for 20,000 descendants in just five years!– unneutered cats are very good at finding each other and unplanned, unwanted pregnancies are all too common.

Do you have any success stories of a micro-chipped pet being reunited with it’s owner that we could share?
We recently received a timid cat that had been in someone’s garden for months.  She was there all hours of the day and night, was not initially happy about being approached by humans but eventually they gained her trust and she turned out to be microchipped and she has since been reunited with her owner, who was incredibly grateful.

Another example of this, is a lady was moving from Leicester to Somerset.  She had left instructions for the removal men not to go through a certain door however they did and her cat escaped.  She looked for her cat before she left, she put posters up and contacted the microchip company about her lost cat, but all of these avenues failed.  2 Years later, the cat came into Woodside as a stray.  We checked for a microchip, then contacted the owner who drove from Somerset that day to claim her lost pet.  The cat seemed so happy to see her even after 2 years apart.

A simple microchip, the size of a grain of rice can give cat owners a sense of security and peace of mind, that if their pet gets lost, there is every chance they will be reunited once again.

Here at Woodside Animal Centre, we are very much about responsible ownership, so all cats that are re-homed through us will be routinely neutered and micro-chipped.  If you do not seewhat you are looking for in our cattery, please speak to our front of house staff who will advise you as to whether there is something suitable for your needs coming up for adoption.

Christmas Kongs for Leicestershire's dogs in need

In anticipation of Christmas and that potential stay in kennels over the festive period we are asking for your help. 

In the words of the experts- Stress and Boredom play a huge part in negative behaviour where dogs are concerned. Keeping your dog mentally stimulated is such an important part of owning one. One of the ways that this can be achieved is by offering a variety of stimulating toys to keep their day exciting and interesting. 

The kennel dogs’ day needs to be made more involved than those lucky dogs who have a loving home to call their own as they will have far less interaction and enjoyment and have much higher levels of stress than an average dog in a home.  

Black Kongs have become an essential toy for us, they are durable, easy to maintain and are an extremely exciting treat for our dogs at Woodside Animal centre. They provide that break up to the day at any time, and are always welcomed by our canine residents. 

Can you help us to help them by donating a black kong to Woodside and break that monotony of kennel life? 

Please bring your kong donation to Woodside Animal Centre 190 Scudamore Rd Leicester LE3 1UQ or you can buy one from our onsite shop (all proceeds go back to the centre). 

Thank you!  

Mother and Kittens Abandoned at Woodside

WARNING: some of these images are graphic and may be upsetting.

Earlier this month, a box containing a gorgeous moggie cat and her litter of four adorable kittens was left outside the Woodside building.

Although hungry and cold, thankfully, their health was in a stable condition and they are getting better and stronger by the day. However, the conditions in which these lovely cats were left in was both appalling and sad and could have resulted in many health complications for all cats.

The box that they were found in (pictured below) was filthy, cramped, and unsanitary. For an unknown amount of time, this lovable mother and her babies were forced to sleep on a layer of old food, soiled clothes, and waste.

We wish we could say that cases like these are rare, but the reality is that unwanted animals are dumped like this far too often. 

In fact, the number of abandoned cats taken in by shelters has almost doubled since 2012, and the majority of them are left in horrible conditions just like this family at Woodside.    

Just one unneutered female cat can produce up to 18 kittens a year, so owners who do not neuter their cats may be unwittingly contributing to more cats being abandoned in the future. 

Here at Woodside Animal Centre, we will be launching a 'Chip n Snip' campaign next month to combat this very problem. Chip n Snip will be running all the way through November and will allow owners to get their cats microchipped and neutered at an affordable price to improve their cats’ health and wellbeing. This will also increase the chances of lost cats being returned to their owners and keep down the number of unwanted kittens in Leicestershire.

Just visit Woodside Animal Centre on Scudamore Road with proof of pet ownership, pay the reduced fee and collect a voucher for the service, which is valid at any of the Park Vet Group surgeries and Medivets. Pet owners can also apply for a voucher online at http://www.rspcaleicester.org.uk/operation-chip--and--snip or by calling the centre on 0116 233 6677.