For many of those without a place to call home, their dog is their only companion and sole reason for living.

Over the past 17 years The Mayhew has been a lifeline for the homeless and rough sleepers, working closely with homeless charities across London to make sure their beloved pets are not suffering alone on the streets.

Our Animal Welfare Officers regularly visit the homeless and their dogs at centres and on the streets, where they build close and trusted relationships with them and provide free general health checks and microchipping.

We give the dogs collars, tags and leads to keep them safe and jackets to keep them warm in the cold winter months. We make sure all the dogs have plenty of food, treats and poo bags and our dedicated Animal Welfare Officers are always there to help, no matter how difficult the situation may be.

Lucky was the victim of a cruel hit and run. Her owner, Gulbar, managed to get out of the car’s way just in time, but poor Lucky had no chance.

Lucky with owner Gulbar Hussain and Animal Welfare Officer, Tania Mazzoni

The four-year-old Staffie was in excruciating pain and could barely move as she was rushed to The Mayhew with a broken hind leg and fractured pelvis. Gulbar was terrified. “I’ve had Lucky since she was a puppy and she’s always been by my side. The thought of not having her here scared the life out of me.”

Our Vet Team performed emergency surgery on her leg and Lucky recovered well. We gave Gulbar a collapsible cage to keep her safe and physio tips for Lucky so she could continue to recover by his side.

As Gulbar was living on the streets and on the brink of survival, The Mayhew covered all of Lucky’s veterinary costs.

Playful Stella became lifeless as she suffered in agony on the streets. Her worried owner, Ian, didn’t know what was wrong with her as he rushed to his local homeless hostel for help.

Luckily they could call our Animal Welfare Officers who arranged for Stella to see our Vet Team immediately. It was discovered that Stella’s tooth was severely infected, causing her a lot of pain and discomfort, and an X-Ray showed that it would need to be surgically removed.

Ian is so happy to have his happy Stella back

Stella was given antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, which cleared up the infection and allowed our Vets to perform surgery. She stayed with us for two nights and was also given a scale and polish, and flea and worm treatments to prevent any further health problems. We covered all costs and continue to regularly check in on Stella and Ian, who is so grateful to have his happy, bouncy Stella back

When we first met Wully, he was living on the streets and addicted to drinking alcohol. Wully is convinced that he would not have survived had we not persuaded him to put his dogs, Gallis and Bo, into our Pet Refuge programme where they were cared for in a foster home while he went into rehab.

Head of Animal Welfare, Zoe Edwards, with Wully, Gallis and Bo

After receiving our extensive, ongoing help, Wully was able to completely turn his life around for the better. He has been sober for over three years, works as a health care advocate for the homeless and shares a home with his beloved dogs.

We provide leads, collars and coats for the colder months

It is only because of the donations we receive from our supporters that we are able to help homeless animals like Lucky, Stella, Gallis and Bo and their owners in desperate need.

Please could you help us to help even more by making a donation today?

Your £50 could help provide life-saving surgical supplies for our Vet Clinic
Your £25 could help us respond to more homeless people’s animals in need
Your £10 could provide nutritious food for a homeless person’s dog for a week
Your £5 could provide blankets and heat pads to keep a dog warm after surgery

Thank you for your support.

Zoe Edwards, Head of Animal Welfare