Friends of West Hatch
By Ron Hill, chairman
As a reader of this newsletter, you will
know that Friends of West Hatch is an
independent charity which was set up
solely to support this excellent animal
centre by providing many ‘extras’ which
are beyond the limits of RSPCA funds.
Whilst the Charity obviously pays for
the centre’s day-to-day running costs/
staff salaries/vet support etc. so often the
staff identify areas where facilities are
‘tired’ and could do with improvement or
replacement, new techniques in the care
and rehabilitation of neglected or abused
animals which require extra resources
which are just beyond the RSPCA’s
budget. This is where your support comes
in. Over the last couple of years, the
Friends Group has purchased a number of
products specifically for use in the training
and support plans for ‘case’ dogs. These
are dogs which have been seized by the
RSPCA – many of which will remain at
West Hatch until they have been ‘destressed’ – rehabilitated and re-socialised
ready for re-homing. We have purchased
incubators for the wildlife unit, heat lamps
for the kennels, cat activity centres to keep
cats and kittens occupied and amused
whilst waiting to be chosen for their new
‘forever’ homes, hedgehog scales and also
seal scales for use by the wildlife centre
when winter storms wash young seals
up and they stay at the centre until their
body weights allow them to be released
back into the sea. Cat beds, dog platforms,
water bowsers, dog paddling pool and
sand pit, rabbit fencing, bolt on kennel
bowls, breeder cages (for the care of
nestling and sick birds), electric pressure
washer, stethoscope and otoscope for use
by the vet, cat scratching posts – and so
the list goes on. This is just a small sample
of the many items Friends have supplied.
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This cannot be done without your
continued support. Each time someone
adopts an animal from West Hatch, they
are encouraged to become a Friend. This
means paying just £10 annual subscription
to the group (a reminder for which you
will receive on the anniversary of your
adoption). We hold an annual general
meeting at which members can find out
what has been going on at the centre
during the past year and can stand for
election to the committee if they so wish.
There is also a twice-yearly newsletter,
with items of interest and photographs of
some of the animals you will have helped.
Various events are held throughout the
year and details of these will always be
found in the newsletter. We have been
extremely fortunate over the past 18
months to have been the beneficiary of
legacies from supporters’ wills. These
wonderful donations came at a time when
the Charity’s funds were severely depleted
and we were in some danger of having to
wind up. The losers would have been the
animals at West Hatch – many of which
have had a pretty rough patch in life –
and anything we can do to make things
just a little more pleasant and comfortable
for them – is very welcome. So may I
please urge you to consider renewing your
subscription each anniversary. It really
is not a lot of money but collectively can
make such a huge difference. Thank you.