How is Cheltenham Animal Shelter adapting during the pandemic?

Recently my Cheltenham animal shelter feature was published for Gloucestershire Echo.

You can read the whole issue here.

I was expecting noise. The chorus of barking, you associate with animal shelters. It only takes 2 minutes for us to unanimously decide to mute the constant sound of dog-fur shaking and metal collar rattling echoing across our Zoom call.

Cheltenham Animal Shelter re-homes more than 650 unwanted stray cats, dogs, and small animals across Gloucestershire every year. It's the oldest animal shelter in Gloucestershire having first opened in 1926.

The shelter hasn’t been open to the public since the beginning of the first lockdown, due to rules set out in government guidelines. Currently, the place is only allowed to open its veterinary centre for emergency appointments, and has temporarily shut its charity shop and boarding kennels - as well as rehoming fewer animals.

Animal adoptions have soared during the pandemic; it seems like every household across the UK has introduced a pandemic puppy to their home.

The Kennel Club (the organisation that runs Crufts) reported a 168% increase in people using its “Find a Puppy” tool between 23rd March and 29th May, compared to the same period in 2019.

In the first week of lockdown last year, Nikki Spanswick, Operations Manager at Cheltenham Animal Shelter, said that there were more than 400 requests to adopt their animals.

“We were absolutely overwhelmed with the support. We couldn’t cope with the number of queries (that) people were sending us. And because of lockdown, the demand for dogs has outweighed supply. There are just not enough dogs out there.”

While shelters announced unprecedented rehoming figures, waiting lists for pets grew longer and longer, leading to a spike in “puppy farms”. The Kennel Club warns that one in four dogs bought in lockdown since August may be from puppy farms.

“Whilst there is a demand there will be a supply. We understand, there is not a rescue animal for every family, it's not always suitable and that can be difficult. If you push the reputable breeders out, you’re going to get bad breeding.”

During lockdown, pets in general have enjoyed the constant attention. But, what's going to happen when people get back to work?

Rosie Taylor-Trigg, an animal behaviourist at the shelter advises owners to start helping their pets adjust for when they go back to work.

Rosie’s office is a mixture of a traditional office: the office chair, and desk, along with numerous hanging leads and multi-coloured collars and of course, treats.

“You alright there Alf?”

Four-year-old Alfie is a beautiful light-brown Staffy. There’s a scratching sound as he attempts to find treats, interrupting Rosie.

“He wants his moment of fame, don’t you Alf?” she laughs.

“I always think, try and keep a routine for the dog. Pop-out for a little bit or go out to the garden. Making separation natural and keeping separation as part of daily life.”

Lockdowns have affected the shelter's income with the cancellation of public fundraising events and the temporary shutdown of the grooming and boarding businesses, as well as its charity shop. It receives no government funding, relying entirely on local community support to fund its work. The shelter says it's losing £1,000 a day.

Throughout the Zoom call, the staff have a clear message; they want what’s best for their animals, and they want to find forever homes for all of them.

Nikki said: “If we could encourage everybody to adopt then that would be fantastic.”

“We always joke that our ideal dream would be that we would all be put out of a job, we’re probably the only people that want to be made redundant in the long term.”

You can support Cheltenham Animal Shelter here.