Latest News

June 2009

The fundraising continued in June with Adam completing the London to Brighton bike ride (in 4 hours 15 minutes) and Rebecca completing the Bluewater 10K run.

In addition to these events the sponsored dog walk, organised by Julie and Ruth, took place at Lessness Abbey Woods. Despite the rain in the morning 40 people took part and thankfully the weather brightened up later in the day. A good day was had, with free dog goodie bags handed out to the walkers.

Also in June the Retreat was invited to to Alleyn's school in Dulwich for their Founders Day. As in previous years a number of animals were taken along for the visitors to meet and feed. Additionally Retreat leaflets were handed out.

A lot of fencing work has been carried out in June, which has created a large dog enclosure/exercise area in the main working area of the Retreat.

May 2009

This month has seen a number of fundraising events take place. Two of these were:-

Events such as these, together with donations and standing orders from supporters have enabled us to continue with the improvements at the Retreat. In May we have had two further mobile stable blocks erected, providing us with 5 new stables in total. Additionally a new area has been created for the seagulls that live at the Retreat and thanks go to Mike and Maureen for their hard work in making this possible.

April 2009

Thanks to donations we receive from our supporters and money from fundraisers we are able to continue with improvements to the Retreat. April has seen our security measures greatly enhanced with new entrance gates been put in and more security lights being installed, additionally we have had a further mobile block of two stables erected. Finally our bird family of hens, cockerels and turkeys has been relocated to a new paddock. They now have a large area to roam during the day, surrounded by a new electric fence for safety, and at night they are shut up safely in two stables. The ducks and geese remain around our large pond and at night go into the barn.

February and March 2009

In the last couple of months we have had a new mobile block of three stables erected and some fencing work done around our duck pond.

Additionally we were bought a number of dog housing pods which have a sleeping compartment with a run and give a full view of the main working area of the sanctuary.  The pods are used as an intermediary placement between group housing and the free range sanctuary dogs, i.e. this helps to rehabilitate dogs enabling us to re-home them faster. A big thank you goes to our friends at Anim-mates for this kind gift.We have also obtained a large shipping container where we will now be storing the animal feed.

January 2009

Extreme Weather Conditions

During the first week of January last year all of our dog dorms flooded due to a period of heavy rain. We had to evacuate the dogs and then bring in electric pumps to pump out the water. (Special thanks to the Shuman Animal Welfare Trust for sending us money to help us through this difficult time.)

This year we have experienced extreme weather conditions again with three weeks of freezing temperatures followed by a week and a half of snow and then heavy rain. These conditions make animal rescue very difficult indeed.

The water supply to our cow field near Eynsford was frozen for two and a half weeks, the Retreat itself was without running water for about four days in one week and then for three days the following week.

On top of all this the freezing weather conditions made the pipes burst three times. This created additional problems which involved not only turning the water off but needing to get plumbers in to fix them. During this period water had to be carried from the house to supply the sanctuary with fresh water for the animals.

We are now hoping for (and looking forward to) a dry sunny spring!

Radio Kent Interview

Radio Kent called Billy on Wednesday 7 January to ask if he would be willing to be interviewed by Pat Marsh, who was including a section on animal rescue centres on his afternoon show. Billy agreed and so the producer called Billy back during the afternoon, where Pat interviewed Billy live on air.

Pat was interested to know when and how the Retreat first started, the numbers and types of animals that we rescue, the number of volunteers we have, the capacity in which they work and if they were all from Kent. Pat was very supportive, pro animal rescue and very interested in the fact that we are a “no kill” shelter.

Pat ended the interview by saying that he would be more than happy to help by advertising any fundraisers that we may hold in the future.

December 2008

Building work

We have had a new mobile storage block erected which will mainly be used to store hay/straw, foodstuffs and equipment.

Fundraising

Early December saw two fundraising efforts. Firstly we had our annual Christmas bash organised by Yvonne and Lil. This was held at the STC club in New Eltham and a good turnout enjoyed the evening with a disco and raffle. All proceeds are going towards extending the dog exercise area.

The evening after saw an evening of clairvoyance which was organised by Therese. There were three clairvoyants at the show which also included a short talk by Billy about Animal Rescue. There were vegan refreshments (including homemade cakes) and a raffle. Proceeds from this evening were split between the Retreat and Pigeon recovery.

October 2008

Spanish Cat Project

For 10 days Billy has been in Spain to assist the International Animal Rescue team on one of their Cat Spaying projects, which took place in Torrevieja and surrounding areas in the South of the country.  The team consisted of trappers, vet nurses and vets and in the time that they were there they managed to trap, spay and release 170 feral/street cats.
This work is vital as an attempt to reduce the number of unwanted litters who would struggle to survive on the streets risking, amongst other things, starvation and poisoning.  Also a large amount of inbreeding means that cats are born with an increased risk of defects and illness. Before a spayed cat is released they have the tip of their left ear clipped.  This procedure, which is painless, is a sign to future projects that the cat has been spayed and so time isn’t wasted trying to trap them again. 
Whilst the project was intended to deal specifically with cats, there was one dog rescued.  This lucky dog was placed in a good foster home and it is hoped that once a pet passport can be obtained for him (it takes around 7 months) he will come to live at the Retreat.
We have reproduced an article that appeared in a local newspaper advertising the fact that the project was going ahead.

Treeraiser

On Saturday 4th October a get together was held at Lil's house. Instead of paying an entrance fee guests were asked to bring a tree. Approximately 30 trees were donated and these will be planted by the duck pond to provide much needed shelter. A raffle was also held to raise vital funds.

September 2008

Building Work and Maintenance

Special thanks must go to our Sunday volunteer Steve, who along with his dedictated helpers, laid hardcore on a section of the driveway. This will enable us to easily move around the Retreat, in the winter, as we will no longer be hampered by the mud.

August 2008

Building Work and Maintenance

We are pleased to say that our new mobile stable block, in memory of Michael Sutcliffe, has been erected (see July's news for further details). It is situated in one of our new paddock's and now provides shelter for our elderly and disabled pigs.

 

 

July 2008

Fundraising

Thanks go to Casey and Ellie who held a stall to raise funds for the Retreat. They sold a range of greeting cards that they had made themselves (with a bit of help from Casey's nan, Doreen); books; a teddy bear and other items. They also gave out our leaflets and the new newsletter. They manned the stall for over 5 long hours and the response from passers-by was very good.

Building Work and Maintenance

Special thanks must go to Michael Sutcliffe, who spent nearly 20 years tirelessly campaigning for animal rights, and who sadly passed away last year. Michael left some money to the Retreat which has enabled us to purchase a 2 stable block in his memory. This is being erected in the very near future.

Special thanks also to Debbie, who has been back to carry out some more electrical work. Debbie has moved some switches and put new lighting in.

We are pleased to say that work has been started to replace the fencing on the smaller of the pig fields.

Hay Donation

Very special thanks must go to one of our supporters, Jan, who has allowed us to cut, bale and take her hay. This normally amounts to 600 bales and it is extremely kind of her.

Work Weekend - June 2008

Approximately 20 people turned out on June 21st and 22nd for the latest work weekend. Thankfully the weather was fine. We hired a digger and dumper and these were used to level out a number of areas including where our new stable block is to be sited. Lots of other jobs were undertaken including the construction of a drainage system, the plumbing in of a further water tap and the erection of a shelter in the feral cat garden. Thanks go to Sherry and Caroline for organising the weekend and to all the volunteers who turned out and worked so hard.

New cat garden - May 2008

 

Thanks go to Lynne and Maggie who over the past few weeks have created a brilliant garden for our feral cat family. The area was cleared and then small trees and grass seed were planted. The grass has now grown making it perfect for the cats to crawl through.

 

Animal Aid article - May 2008

The Retreat were asked by Animal Aid (a national group that campaigns against all animal abuse) if we would like to write a rescue story for their summer 2008 magazine - Outrage. Animal Aid regularly have articles on sanctuaries/rescue centres. We decided to tell the story of Emma, our Highland cow, who is also featured on our leaflet. We are hoping that with Animal Aids large membership the article will further raise the Retreats profile.

Izzie

You may remember Izzie, a small mare suffering from Sarcoids, who recently featured on our December 2007 latest rescues page. We are pleased to report that Izzie has spent a week at the vets receiving treatment for her Sarcoids. Following this costly treatment (the vet bill is £1,250) Izzie's lesions will start to shrink and she will then be ready to be re-homed.

Badger Sets

Unfortunately we have to report that there is an increase in the number of badger sets being tampered with. Please can we ask you to be vigilant when out walking and if you see a badger set that appears to have been tampered with please contact your local police.

Docker

Our long term Cocker Spaniel resident, Docker, has finally been found a loving new home. Docker arrived at the Retreat approximately five years ago and was one of the first dogs that the Retreat took on suffering from Rage Syndrome. Over time, and with much love and patience, Docker was rehabilitated and it is wonderful that we have been able to re-home him; giving him a chance to live the kind of the life he so deserves.

Building Work and Maintenance

Firstly special thanks must go to Debbie for re-wiring the dog block and new farm animal stables and for buying us a cordless drill.

We are also delighted that the new sheep/goat hospital wing has been completed. This is where old and special needs sheep and goats can get the individual intensive care and treatment that they require.

Fundraising

December, 2007 has seen a number of fundraising efforts organised by Retreat volunteers.

On the 8th December we had our Christmas social at the STC club in Eltham. This was a well attended and enjoyable evening with a disco and raffle. Thanks go to Yvonne and Lil who arranged everything.

Thanks to Linda who held a stall at a fayre selling bric-a-brac to raise money and also handed out Retreat newsletters & leaflets to spread the word.

Bromley Animal Rights held collections in Bromley high street over a number of days leading up to Christmas with a few Retreat volunteers helping out by shaking tins and giving out leaflets.

In addition to the above we held another collection at the Polhill Garden Centre on Christmas Eve. The reaction from the public was even better than usual with loads of donations, we also handed out lots of Retreat leaflets.

Constant fundraising is vital due to the large amount of money needed to run the Retreat. Many of the fundraising efforts have involved holding collection tins outside garden centres, in high streets or outside supermarkets. If you are interested in helping on future collections to raise money for the Retreat then please call Eleanor on 020 8464 6035. Thank you.

**** Online Donations****

We are pleased to say that with immediate effect we are able to accept online donations through the Just Giving website. If you would like to make a donation to The Retreat please click on justgiving and follow the instructions, thank you.

Maureen Young

A mention in remembrance of Maureen Young (formally of South Norwood Animal Rescue). Maureen remembered the Retreat in her will and this has enabled us carry out vital building work including new fencing and stables. We have also started a "new land" fund in her memory with the remainder of the legacy.

Dog enclosure

The work on our much needed dog enclosure has now been completed which means that our canine family can be out a lot more and get loads of exercise. A big thanks goes to Sherry whose generous donation enabled this project to be finished.

Polhill fundraising

Despite bad weather we held another successful collection at Polhill Garden Centre on the first weekend in December. Generous donations were received from the public and lots of Retreat leaflets were handed out.

Larry

Brilliant news for Larry, a Rhodesion Ridgeback cross, who has found a great new home with one of the Retreat's supporters, he will live with their other rescued dogs and horses. Larry came to us three years ago with lots of problems. Following a lot of time spent rehabilitating Larry he thankfully overcame these and is now in a safe and loving home (where he deserves to be).

New Forest Ponies

In October a number of Retreat volunteers went to the New Forest Sales (Horse Market) where the New Forest Ponies are rounded up and sold (usually going to be slaughtered for meat or to be bred). The volunteers were looking to save those that were in the worst condition and therefore needed the most help. It was hoped that those in a better condition would be bought by people not looking to kill them but to give them a good home. Thanks to a donation from a supporter, who asked that it be used specifically for this purpose, the volunteers brought home seven ponies with them, ponies that will now live out the rest of their lives safe and loved.

Trafalgar Square Pigeons

Thanks go to two supporters who have kindly paid for a large aviary to be built at the Retreat. This will be used to house up to 250 Pigeons that have been rescued from Trafalgar Square.

 

 

Trees

We have also been bought seven young trees by one of our volunteers. These have been planted at the Retreat (fenced off from the animals) and it is hoped that when they grow they will provide much needed shelter from the wind (the Retreat is very open to the elements).

Retreat Emails

Unfortunately, we receive a high volume of spam emails (many of these are obviously rubbish and can be simply deleted, however there are a large number which are probably spam but still have to be checked on the off chance that they are a valid enquiry and therefore important) and these take up a lot of our already stretched time; time which we should be spending on rescuing and caring for animals and also promoting our work. We have therefore decided to close our email account. We are sorry for any inconvenice caused but if anyone has an enquiry please contact us on one of the numbers shown on the contacts page, or by post to the Southwood Rd address which is also on the contacts page.

Our second site

Our leased land is still expanding; we now have approx 75 acres on which our older and larger horses live.  We also hope to move our bovine family to this land when the current restrictions are lifted.  We are only able to afford this, now vital, land thanks to the generosity of people who support us.

A big thank you goes to everyone who gave up their time to pull ragwort at this site.

New Retreat Leaflet

We decided that it was time to revamp the Retreat's leaflet which is handed out at collections, fundraisers, stalls or to anyone who requests information about the Retreat. The front page was titled "The Joy and Pain of Animal Rescue" and we gave two stories that we felt summed up the highs and lows of what we do. Click on Emma and Mighty Joe to read their stories. We would like to thank the two supporters who paid for the printing of the leaflet

Mass Chicken rescue

At the end of March this year Retreat volunteers assisted Brighton Animal Action in a mass rescue of hens from slaughter (in total just under 4,000 were saved).  This was the second mass rescue from the same farm.  The Sussex farmer had again given permission for local volunteers to re-home hens who had reached the age of 72 weeks and as such were due to be slaughtered*.  The Retreat homed over 200 of these hens, with the remainder going to sanctuaries/new homes throughout the country.
* Eggs produced by hens over 72 weeks old are not considered by retailers to be “perfect”, therefore the hens, who would normally have years to live, still laying so-called “imperfect eggs”, are simply disposed of.

Breeders using the Retreat name

It has come to our attention that some breeders based near Milton Keynes are advertising puppies for sale online using the name of "The Retreat Animal Centre". As many people will realise, they have no connection with the Retreat Animal Rescue, which is totally opposed to the breeding of animals for the pet trade, whether they are so-called "reputable breeders" or not.

Rescue centres are overflowing with unwanted pets, and thousands of animals are killed every month just because their owners don't want them any more. This is why breeding more animals is totally irresponsible. Every extra animal bred for the pet trade means another unwanted pet dying somewhere. If you are looking for a dog or cat, always get one from a rescue centre, never from a breeder.

Here are some links about the pet trade and animal breeders:

Jenny Seagrove (Lofty revisited!)

A few weeks before Christmas 2006 the Retreat was visited by actress Jenny Seagrove.  The visit was arranged by “People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals” (PETA) as a publicity event to highlight the plight of turkeys at Christmas.  The Retreat agreed that Lofty, a member of our turkey family, could be present at the event, which would hopefully demonstrate to the general public the fact that turkeys are feeling creatures with their own personalities and who have a right to life.  He was of course the star of the show!  (Lofty was previously featured in our Winter/Spring 2006 newsletter, following a similar event held prior to Christmas 2005.)  Local press were also invited and interviewed the PETA representatives. Once the interviews had been completed Jenny was shown around the Retreat and appeared to be impressed with what she saw.  This was confirmed shortly after when we received a generous donation from Jenny.