Special grant awarded from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home!

We are very excited to announce we have been awarded a special grant from one of the UK’s leading animal welfare charities, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in London. Claire Lilwall recently joined CDCH as a resident registered Veterinary Nurse thanks to the grant from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

Claire said “I have been a veterinary nurse for 23 years. During my career, I have worked in general practice, referral hospitals and several charity organisations. Working for charities and helping the most in need has always been a very important part of my nursing career and the most rewarding.”

Being the permanent veterinary nurse for CDCH means that Claire is able to build relationships with the rest of the team and the patients. Getting to know everyone and building their trust is very important as many of the patients at CDCH are scared and nervous and maybe haven’t had the best start in life.

Milo a 6-year-old male Shih-Tzu x Yorkie is one of Claire’s current patients. When Milo arrived, he was very nervous, scared and unable to function properly due to his matted fur. He could barely see through the matts around his eyes and going to the toilet was difficult due to the matted, sore areas around his bottom.

Milo came in through the RSPCA inspector. It was reported that his owners had left him in a cage, while they went on holiday in Spain but it seems he had spent the last few years in this cage.

Claire said “As the resident Veterinary Nurse, I assisted the vet and we took Milo under our care. We castrated him, clipped all his matts, cleaned him up, clipped his nails and cleaned his teeth. He was a new man when he woke from his anaesthetic, instantly feeling more comfortable and looking smart with his new haircut.”

Claire added "It's been so rewarding to see him through his journey, now enjoying his new life with us all at CDCH, and slowly learning to trust us. The CDCH team is a very dedicated, fantastic team and we are able to learn from each other and share our knowledge and skills. I am very lucky to work a long side a brilliant and caring Veterinary Surgeon and together we deliver a high standard of care, making sure all our patients receive the best care we can give them."

Margaret Hulme, Grants Manager at Battersea added: “We are so glad that this grant is helping to make a real difference to the lives of animals. At Battersea we want to support rescues and shelters, not only by awarding funding, but also by sharing the experiences and knowledge we have gained as an animal welfare charity that has been rescuing and rehoming animals for 160 years.”

Battersea Grants is an initiative launched in 2019 that aims to support smaller rescues and shelters by offering grants of between £3,000 and £15,000. This money will help organisations continue their great work with dogs and cats.