The Mayhew Animal Home

Mayhew was established in 1886 as ‘The Home for Starving and Deserted Cats’. In 1904, it was re-branded as ‘The Mayhew Animal Home’ in honour of the first superintendent, Anne Mayhew.

During World War Two, ‘The Mayhew Animal Home’ remained open to care for and offer refuge to homeless animals and their owners.

In 1998, the site expanded to include a Community Veterinary Clinic, and between 2000 and 2012, initiatives such as the current community support and animal welfare services, Mayhew International and TheraPaws programmes were established.

In 2017, ‘The Mayhew Animal Home’ rebranded to ‘Mayhew’.

In January 2019, the Duchess of Sussex became Mayhew’s Royal Patron.

Mayhew’s CEO is Caroline Yates, assisted by a Senior Management Team, who report to a Board of Trustees.

Mayhew is entirely funded by public donations, and can care for up to 30 dogs and 150 cats in their UK rescue center at any one time. Mayhew also funds outreach work which enables them to provide care and veterinary treatment for owned and stray cats and dogs in the local community. The organization has almost 80 permanent staff members, and is helped by over 200 volunteers.

In 2018, Mayhew’s reported income was £2,781,141. This includes a 14% raise in income from donations and an overall increase in total income of 27% comparative to 2017.

Mayhew’s core aim is to reduce the number of animals in need, by delivering a broad range of pro-active, community-based welfare, veterinary and education services in the UK and overseas. Mayhew understands the links between social issues and animal welfare, and believe that by helping people, they can help animals too. By taking a realistic and non-judgmental view of the difficult situations people can face, Mayhew are able to care for and re-home dogs and cats in need, change human behavior and inform and educate the general public about animal welfare.

In 2019, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex became a Royal Patron of Mayhew.

Community Support

Mayhew is more than an animal rescue shelter. The organization helps people and animals in the local community through a number of unique support projects, from providing free and low cost veterinary treatment to controlling the population of feral cats and educating young people about responsible pet ownership.

Mayhew’s Animal Welfare Officers go out into the community every day to provide ongoing support to pet owners in difficulty, and assist animals in need. Through an innovative Pet Refuge programme, the Animal Welfare Officers arrange shelter and care for the pets of people in a crisis for a short period of time, and build trusting relationships with animal owners to ensure Mayhew is their first point of contact in their time of need.

Mayhew have also been a lifeline for homeless and rough sleepers for over 17 years, and work closely with homeless charities across London to ensure people are kept with their animals as much as possible. Animal Welfare Officers provide food, safety equipment and medical care and advice to the pets of homeless people, and regularly visit hostels and help centers to undertake free general health checks. Through these unique initiatives, Mayhew believe they have a better chance of preventing cases of animal cruelty and neglect.

Rehoming

Mayhew rescues and rehomes hundreds of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens every single year. Every animal that comes into the shelter receives a full behavioral and health assessment, and is given any necessary veterinary treatment required before being placed up for adoption.

Through their innovative Rehome From Home scheme, Mayhew also help pets who are able to stay with their existing owner until a new family is found. The organization also runs an animal foster care service, which provides temporary homes for animals who may not cope well in a shelter environment, or who have been awaiting adoption for a very long time. These services help to free up space in Mayhew’s shelter, and lower the risk of unwanted and abandoned animals being euthanized elsewhere.

Community Vet Clinic

Mayhew's Community Vet Clinic offers free or low-cost preventative care including neutering, microchipping and vaccinations for all pet owners and in-house animals. Services also include flea and worming treatment, and emergency care when an animal has nowhere else to go. Mayhew’s Nurse Clinic offers basic care for pets, from nail clipping to dental checks. Mayhew’s Vet Clinic reception is open Monday – Saturday from 9am until 5pm to book appointments, order repeat prescriptions or make a general enquiry.

Mayhew International

Mayhew International was officially established in 2012, and currently runs animal welfare projects Afghanistan, Georgia, Russia and India.

Mayhew International works with governments, local communities and charitable groups in all four countries to help improve animal welfare overseas, address issues around dog and cat populations in urban areas and change attitudes towards stray and companion animals amongst local residents.

The organizations’ primary goals for their international work is to control and reduce free-roaming dog and cat populations humanely, eradicate rabies and other infectious diseases caught from dogs and spread between animals and people, and improve veterinary standards abroad through access to training.

Mayhew International neuter around 95,000 animals, vaccinated almost 105,000 dogs against rabies, trained 564 veterinary professionals and become a registered NGO in both Afghanistan and Georgia.

Mayhew International also completed the first ever dog population survey in Kabul, where they have also delivered the first mass canine rabies vaccination programme and in 2017 signed a landmark agreement with Kabul Municipality to stop unethical dog culling.

Veterinary surgeon and Mayhew International Afghanistan Country Director Dr Abdul-Jalil Mohammadzai has won multiple awards for his groundbreaking work in Kabul, including the Association of Dogs and Cats Home (ADCH) Special Recognition Award in 2017, the Animal Hero Awards Special Recognition Award in 2018 and the RCVS International Award in 2019.

TheraPaws

TheraPaws is a dog therapy programme run by Mayhew, that works to improve wellbeing in the local community.

A team of Mayhew volunteers take their owned therapy dogs into care and residential homes, hospices, hospitals and day care centers across London to engage with residents, provide companionship and brighten up their day. TheraPaws specializes in visits to people suffering from ill mental health, elderly people with dementia, and to palliative care units; where the dogs encourage social interaction and promote emotional and physical wellbeing.

In 2018, volunteers made over 700 TheraPaws visits in over 60 locations across 14 London boroughs.

TheraPaws dogs also pay additional visits to corporate clients, as studies have indicated that spending time with an animal can reduce stress and improve mood, and has a positive impact of the wellbeing and productivity of teams and individuals.

In return for a donation, volunteers will visit an office in London for up to 90 minutes and help staff to de-stress.

• Animal welfare in the United Kingdom

• The Mayhew Animal Home