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News
Advice to the public after people impersonate RSPCA staff
Over recent weeks the RSPCA has been made aware of a small number of incidents where people are posing as fake RSPCA inspectors or impersonating RSPCA staff, along with fraudulent calls being made mirroring the charity’s hotline number.
If you are concerned someone may have posed as an RSPCA officer or another agency worker please report the incident to the local police on 101.
For more information on what the RSPCA does and does not do, and what you can do to keep you and your pets safe visit www.rspca.org.uk
Sussex band supports Wadars 50th anniversary
Sussex-based five-piece band, The Cheer Up Mollys, are staging a fundraising concert in aid of the Wadars 50th anniversary at The John Selden pub in Half Moon Lane, Salvington, at 7.30pm on Saturday 6th April.
The folk, acoustic, and Americana band features vocal harmonies accompanied by guitar, ukulele, mandolin and bass, with song choices ranging from bluegrass and country to acoustic pop songs. Tickets for the concert are priced at £7.50 in advance or £9 on the night. Advance tickets can be purchased from either The John Selden, the Wadars office in Hangleton Lane, Ferring, or from the band via www.thecheerupmollys.co.uk
High Sheriff of West Sussex officially opens new Wadars rehoming cattery as part of the charity’s 50th anniversary celebrations
The High Sheriff of West Sussex, Mrs Caroline Nicholls DL officially opened the brand-new Wadars rehoming cattery at a ceremony which was held last week. Other VIPs at the event include the Chair of Arun District Council Cllr Alan Gammon and The Mayor & Mayoress of Worthing.
The cattery is part of the first phase of development at the charity’s site in Hangleton Lane, Ferring, which has also included creation of a small wildlife unit in which to house wild birds, hedgehogs and other small mammals until they can be released back into the wild.
The new purpose-built rehoming cattery can hold up to 34 cats and each pen consists of a large bedroom area leading to an enclosed run. With each pen individually heated, the bedroom can be closed off from the run during periods of cold weather. Several pens have lift-out sections which effectively join two areas together meaning that larger groups of cats can be accommodated if they have come from the same home.
Wadars Chair of Trustees, Christie McMahon, said; “We are absolutely delighted to have opened our new cattery and having the High Sheriff to do the honours for us was the icing on the cake. Rehoming animals from our own site has been a dream for a number of years, and to be able to open the cattery as part of our 50th birthday celebrations is just fantastic.”
Christie continued; “The next step for us is to build a large aviary in which to house seabirds until they can be released, and we plan to have this in place around June time before we are inundated with gull chicks. Future development plans include building kennels, a centre reception, an education room, and an animal assessment room, as well as developing a larger wildlife area. Sadly, we don’t currently have the funds to carry out that additional development yet but hope that local people will get behind us and help to raise the money that’s needed.”
Other guests at the official opening included representatives from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, which has awarded a grant to Wadars to help pay for some of the equipment within the new cattery. Margaret Hulme, Grants Manager at Battersea added; “We hope that this grant will help make a real difference to the lives of cats and dogs in the community. Battersea helps more than 7,000 dogs and cats each year, at our three centres in London, Berkshire and Kent and beyond. We want to support rescues and shelters in the UK, 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 158 years.”
To find out about adopting a cat or finding a new home for your cat if you are unable to keep it, contact Wadars on 01903 247111.
Silly Season comes around every year, just like clockwork!
Staff at Wadars animal rescue are so sure they can set their clocks by the influx of orphaned and injured seagull chicks that they are called out to rescue each year, that they even hold a competition to guess the exact day that the first one will come in!
Animal rescue officer, Elaine Sinclair commented; “The last week of May is usually when we can expect to have to rescue the first gull chick. The majority of them will have fallen from the roof where they have been nesting. By the end of the summer last year we had dealt with more than 600 birds. We refer to it as Silly Season, as we are literally run off our feet rescuing the chicks.”
Elaine added; “Wherever possible we will always put the gull chick back up onto the roof that it fell from, but sometimes that isn’t possible, and in those cases we get them checked by a vet and then either care for them at our own site, or find a place at another wildlife centre until they are old enough to be released.”
Support Wadars’ 50thanniversary by taking up the 50/50 Challenge
Wadars animal rescue, based in Ferring, has been rescuing wildlife and rehoming companion animals for the last 50 years, and is now calling on local people to help raise vital funds for its work by taking up its ‘50/50 Challenge’.
It costs Wadars more than £400,000 a year to provide its services in the local community, and the charity relies on voluntary contributions to bring that money in. More than 90p in every £1 spent by the charity goes directly on animal welfare.
Wadars Operations Manager, Tracy Cadman said; “The Wadars 50/50 Challenge is a really simple way for anyone to support us during our 50th anniversary year. Basically, we are just asking people to raise £50 for us in whichever way suits them. Even if people were able to donate just £1 a week then over the course of the year, they would reach the £50 target.
There are so many ways that people can raise the £50, for example they might want to make a one-off donation which would be amazing, alternatively they could take part in an event such as Walk for Wadars and raise the money through sponsorship or even hold a coffee morning with friends and family.”
Tracy added; “It might not seem as if £50 helps very much in the overall scheme of things, but it could pay for a wildlife pen in which to house an injured hedgehog until it could be released back into the wild; or for a cat that we take in for rehoming to receive a vet check and flea and worm treatment. Every £50 raised will affect the life of at least one animal in our care.”
Wadars will provide support for anyone taking up the 50/50 Challenge and in addition to advice, can supply sponsor forms; collecting tins; balloons; and blank posters for people to use to promote their challenge.
To find out more about taking up the Wadars 50/50 Challenge, call 01903 247111 or email enquiries@wadars.co.uk
‘Loveable hooligan’ Bobby just needs someone to play with
Bobby is a 4-year-old Bulldog cross who was signed over to Wadars for rehoming after his family had a new baby and were scared that he was too lively for them.
He is a very friendly dog and despite being a big lad, Bobby is submissive with other dogs and rather scared of cats!
He does need a bit of work in a home where he would need to receive some general training, but Bobby is basically a good boy who loves playing with his toys. Whilst he has been around children before, an adult home is probably best as he can be quite bouncy. He is a very friendly boy who just needs someone who will work with him to temper his boundless enthusiasm.
Bobby has been looking for a new home since last August and is one of a number of bull breeds currently with Wadars. At the time of going to print the charity is also looking for homes for two Staffies; a Rottweiler; an American Bulldog cross, and a Mastiff cross.
To find out more about offering a home to Bobby or one of the other dogs in the care of Wadars, call 01903 247111 or log onto www.wadars.co.uk
Billy celebrates 21 years as part of the Wadars animal welfare team
Wadars has been rescuing wildlife and rehoming companion animals for the past 50 years, and for almost half of that time, Billy Elliot has been a rescue officer with the charity.
Before joining Wadars Billy ran a car body repair business in Worthing and knew about the work of the charity as he had been responsible for maintaining its fleet of animal ambulances for several years.
Speaking about what he enjoys most about the role of Animal Rescue Officer, Billy said; “It sounds like a cliché, but with this job no two days are alike, and you could never get bored. Obviously, it’s very rewarding when animals go to their new homes, but I also really enjoy the wildlife rescue side of my role.”
“Wadars is unique in as much as we work with both domestic and wild animals. We work closely with several other animal welfare organisations including the RSPCA and Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital as well as with a number of local vets, and I believe that joint working is key to being able to do the very best that we can for animals.”
Billy works alongside fellow animal rescue officers, Elaine Sinclair and Julie Brewer, and between them they provide a seven day a week service in and around the Worthing area.
Looking to the future Billy concluded; “The fact that we now have our cattery open at our Ferring site is brilliant news and a great step on road to eventually having all of our animals here. We do come across some extremely sad situations in our line of work, but we also meet a lot of good people who want to do the best for animals, and I look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.”
Snowy and friends just need some bunny to love
Since it was founded in 1969, Wadars animal rescue has been known for its work with both wildlife and domestic animals, and whilst for most people that means dogs and cats, over the years the charity has also found forever homes for hundreds of rabbits, guinea pigs, and other small ‘fluffies’.
Among them have been a number of rabbits which have had special needs and therefore require homes where they can live as indoor bunnies. One such little girl is Snowy, who is currently with Wadars looking for a new home.
Snowy who appears to be deaf and has an involuntary head wobble, probably caused by an infection in the womb or at birth, doesn’t have the ‘flight’ instinct which is why she needs to live indoors where she will be safe. She is otherwise a very healthy and happy 18-month-old girl.
Wadars is looking for an indoor home for Snowy, where she can live with her own cuddly bunny.
The charity also has a number of other rabbits looking for homes, so if you are interested in finding out more about adopting Snowy or another of the bunnies, please call Wadars on 01903 247111.
Do your bit to support 50 years of caring for animals by taking part in Walk for Wadars this May
It costs Wadars more than £400,000 a year to fund the various services that it provides in the local community and as the charity receives no statutory income, it relies on the generosity of local people to keep it afloat.
During its 50th birthday year, Wadars is hoping that its annual Walk for Wadars event will be bigger and better than ever and raise thousands of pounds towards its work.
The event takes place on Sunday 12th May and is a 5-mile sponsored walk which starts at Goring Gap Green near the Sea Lane Café and goes right along the prom to Worthing Pier and back. The route is flat and is suitable for young and old alike. Walk for Wadars is free to enter but all participants are asked to raise sponsorship for the charity, and organisers hope that this year money raised through the event will top the £10,000 mark.
Participants don’t need to have a dog to take part, but well behaved two and four legged friends are all welcome to enter!
Anyone interested in taking part will need to fill out an entry form, and can do so either by visiting the charity’s website (www.wadars.co.uk) or calling 01903 247111 and asking for a form to be emailed or posted to them.
Wadars acts as the local wildlife emergency service
From time to time Wadars rescue officers are called out to deal with larger types of wildlife including trapped or injured deer.
One such call was dealt with by Wadars senior animal rescue officer, Billy Elliot, who responded to a call from the Warden at the RSPB’s Pulborough Brooks nature reserve, reporting two young stags that were caught in some discarded fencing. Not only were they both caught up, they were actually tethered to each other by the wire which was caught around both sets of antlers.
Billy and the Warden eventually managed to remove the wire and the younger of the two deer immediately took off, whilst the older one was exhausted from trying to escape from the tangle and had almost drowned in the boggy ground.
Rather than take him away, the decision was taken to move the exhausted animal to drier ground and leave him to recover, which he did and eventually disappeared back into the undergrowth none the worse for his ordeal!
Wadars staff nominated in national charity awards
Two members of Wadars staff have this month been nominated for Employee of the Year in the Petplan & ADCH Animal Charity Awards 2019.
Senior Animal Rescue Officer, Billy Elliot, and Operations Manager, Tracy Cadman, have both received nominations for the award, which will be decided later in the year.
Tracy, who has been at the charity for three years said; “Being recognised for our work is very humbling. Billy has been with Wadars for over 20 years now and alongside our other rescue officers does an amazing job, often in difficult circumstances. Being nominated in our 50th anniversary year makes it extra special”
Wadars has previously won the Animal Heroes and Charity of the Year categories in the Herald & Gazette Community Stars Awards.