Together for Animals

At just a few months old, Pickle was homeless and in need of emergency care. Kitten playtime had turned to horror when her head was accidentally shut in a heavy door, leaving her with a fractured skull and jaw.

And with her owners unable to afford vet treatment or provide the right environment for the lengthy rehabilitation ahead, badly injured Pickle found herself in Together for Animals member Blue Cross’ care.

Sadly, she is one of a mounting number of pets given up or abandoned as owners struggle to pay for food and vet care due to the cost-of-living crisis.

But Pickle was in the right place.

Despite being in lots of pain, the brave kitten stunned the team looking after her when she started eating. And so, as she was so young and still growing, vets decided that the best way to heal her broken bones was rest, pain relief and plenty of TLC.

Once she was well enough, the kitten went to the Burford rehoming centre.

As she needed medication throughout the night to keep her comfortable, Elisha, Animal Welfare Assistant, stepped in to provide foster care.

“She was a bit of a whirlwind,” says Elisha. “She’s two extremes – very loving and affectionate but also extremely playful. We could easily see how she was injured.”

After 52 days in Blue Cross’ care, Pickle found a home where she could put her painful past behind her. A tiny, barely noticeable deformity in her jaw is the only indicator of her sad start to life.

She now lives with Laura and Scott in London and couldn’t be happier.

Her favourite game is being chased, and when she’s keen to play, she’ll often drop her feather toy at her owners’ feet.

Laura says: “When we first got her, she didn’t know when to stop playing, we had to teach her ways to slow down and stop. She’s much calmer now, but still loves to play.”

Seeing Pickle develop and grow in confidence has been rewarding, says Laura.

“She’s a lot more confident in herself now. She wasn’t happy being left alone and would follow us all over. But now she’s confident and happy staying put. Noises outside used to make her skittish too, but she doesn’t bat an eyelid now.”

But Pickle remains a cuddly, affectionate soul, which makes her even more special to her owners.

Laura adds: “She prefers to be with someone constantly. She likes four to five proper cuddles a day including a long cuddle in bed in the morning to start the day. She’s brought a lot of love into our lives.”

Thank you for helping our members care for animals in need during the current cost-of-living crisis.

At just six weeks old and unable to fend for himself, tiny Cinnamon was found in a bush. The frightened kitten was thankfully discovered by a kind resident of the apartment block beside his hiding spot before he could starve or freeze to death.

With no milk or mother to find warmth from as the harsh December weather took its grip, the little kitten wouldn’t have survived long.

Cinnamon’s finder took him into the warm for the night and contacted our member Blue Cross’ Manchester rehoming and advice unit the following day for help. They didn’t hesitate to help and take the sweet kitten in.

Hannah, Animal Welfare Assistant, says: “He was in good physical condition. This makes us think he was abandoned by someone rather than being rejected by her mum. We placed him in foster care straight away where we started to wean him towards solids.”

Cinnamon spent Christmas in Blue Cross’ care, going from strength to strength physically, and building some much-needed confidence after his sad start to life.

He soon got used to cuddles on the sofa and found his voice when he wanted attention or food and, after 80 days in care, he embarked on the next happy chapter of his life as a much-loved pet.

Thank you for helping find loving new homes for animals like Cinnamon.

Six-month old skewbald foal, Faith, was beaten in her stable while the distressed animal’s owner looked on unconcerned. Unbeknownst to the abusers, the shocking 1½ hour-long attack was caught on the yard’s CCTV camera. Ever since, little Faith has been looked after by Together for Animals member World Horse Welfare, and their team at the Glenda Spooner Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Somerset.

Faith’s abuser received a lifetime ban on keeping all animals (with a 10-year period before he can apply for that to be lifted) and a five-month prison sentence – suspended for 21 months – in May of this year.

Field Officer Penny visited the yard near Romsey, Hampshire where Faith was kept after the yard owner reported a welfare concern. Penny said: “When I first got to the yard Faith – who was a just-weaned very young foal – was in a real state. She was very distressed, and when I tried to enter her stable, in self-defence she put her ears flat back, turned her bum towards me and tried to kick – that filly was terrified.”

Penny’s visit was in November 2021, when she also saw the CCTV coverage showing the sustained attack and beating of the foal in the stable, whilst the foal’s owner and another woman sat outside in full view of what was going on inside the stable. Police, vets, and the RSPCA all agreed that an offence had been committed and Penny was able to arrange for World Horse Welfare to take Faith into their care. Now two, Faith is growing into a pretty pony. Penny said:

“It’s taken 18 months for her case to reach conclusion which is not an unusual length of time for prosecutions, and during that time Faith has been slowly recovering with the expert care of our teams at Glenda Spooner Farm. Her physical scars quickly healed, but her mental scars may never completely go, this kind of experience is likely to leave a mark on her for the rest of her life. We thank all of our supporters and donors whose direct help goes towards supporting horses and ponies like Faith.”

The costs of caring for and treating Faith since she was seized back in November 2021 have been borne by World Horse Welfare and the ultimate aim for the young horse will be to rehome her when she is ready. World Horse Welfare retains ownership of every horse or pony that comes into its care for the rest of their lives, meaning there is no danger of them once again becoming welfare cases.

Your donations support the vital work of our members and help them care for animals when they need them most. Thank you.