written by Roth427 on 12/10/2023
Please do not be tempted to work for this charity. The managers are bullies and stick together when a complaint is made. They do not care about the safety of their employees and do not care about the amount of people who leave, because their view is, someone else will always replace them. If you want to work for an animal charity that cares about it's staff and animals, then Battersea is not for you, as they simply care about the name and money it brings in. There are so many smaller animal charities who would really appreciate you more.
written by Dax371 on 06/12/2022
Can’t praise them enough. Lost my cat to being ill so applied to adopt a cat. Within three weeks they rang me with a suitable cat. They had to operate on him to remove some teeth and then he caught an infection. They updated me on his progress every two days and I collected him a week later. Brilliant.
written by Butterflyop on 14/09/2022
They pretend to care about your dog but they do not. My dog was not even there a week and they killed him!! They should give you the option to come back for your dog or fix their intake process and have assessments etc whilst you are there, you know maybe give you the chance to make an informed decision rather than just taking your dog then killing it. Best of all you have to email to find out and they respond with a very insensitive email Should be called slaughterhouse. Don’t bring your pet here !!!
written by Angelo37 on 12/09/2022
I don't like sharing anything on social media, but there is no way I could not put a glowing review for the staff that are surely earth angels at the Blue Cross and Battersea, here was my situation-
I had 3 very adored, little, toy dogs, and planned to spay all dogs at the same time. They were all booked in and I was working full time so had zero worries.
Then a young gentleman with learning difficulties came to stay at our home and let the dogs in together with no nappies on {we always protected them from pregnancy by keeping them separate or wearing nappies until this day} and unfortunately one got pregnant.
Now, I have severe PTSD and my dogs help soothe this. I honestly couldn't get through the day without them. So when I knew puppies were coming, I also knew it was going to be incredibly hard for me to part with them, as I've experienced so much negativity in my life that I look at my dogs as family.
That being said, I would never do anything to their detriment. If keeping them meant they would suffer in any way then I would, of course, search for loving homes for them.
I was working though and had good money and was in a position to move to a larger home and my children were older teens, nearly adults who could help with them.
So we all agreed we would share the load and take shifts around work and college so all pups would be happy and content, plus we had a very small breed and read that typically, these dogs have 1-3 pups tops the first time around.
We also knew many bred and bred this kind of dog as so pretty, which scared the life out of us, so planned to keep all if we got a manageable number...we ended up with a litter of 7, 5 of which survived, so in total 8 dogs!!!!!
We instantly loved them though and are very serious about committing to our pets so decided to commit to the next 12-15 years ahead together. I planned to get a farm and we had a ton of support and work. We pre-booked opps for them ALL in advance and were happy to do the work, then Covid 19 happened and like the rest of the world, our lives were completely turned upside down.
I lost EVERYTHING and there was no way we could come up with £2000 odd to spay my babies. Also at this time, the unlawful breeding of dogs was insane. So many were so cruel to the animal world, plus stealing dogs so we trusted no one. People who had no clue about animals were getting puppies as simply bored at home and we wanted the best lives for ours, we felt giving them away was just not an option when confronted with the countless scary animal abuse reports over the news and social media.
My home was too small to keep us all and at 6 months became noisy as we couldn't take dogs out in the car during lockdown and our local park was rammed, we were, like everyone, allowed our one walk of the day but with such a nervous breed it was very hard to train under such circumstances.
I was about to lose my home anyway so we came up with the idea of travelling and living off-grid, so the dogs would get the best life, I could work online and walk/spoil the dogs around all of this. They would learn to socialise as they'd be out so much and we could all rebuild our lives again. {We obviously waited until it was legal and safe to do this}
This worked, the dogs adored being out in nature and were/are living their best life, they had/have several walks a day, plus huge outdoor pen we got a tent and caravan which we made all snug for them and our dogs thought they were in heaven, plus my family and I lifted the terrible depression we all had during the pandemic.
Unfortunately though, they all still needed spaying, meaning we had to experience what seemed like a billion seasons and none of them had a season at the same time, plus smaller dogs can have more frequent seasons. As soon as one kicked in all 8 dogs would be crazy, we couldn't sleep, eat properly, or concentrate on anything, it was like having 8 newborn human babies and all of our lives became hell each season.
Our poor babies would totally change then and even fight so we had to keep them apart and as I was starting a business from scratch and camps were costing so much I knew I'd be a year or two before I could even dream of saving anything.
We hated seeing our dogs in distress but also were scared to approach anyone for help as worried we'd be judged harshly and called irresponsible, yet we were trying all we could to give our little ones the best, even turning down free housing that wouldn't allow pets, simply not to abandon them.
Our lives were so disrupted that we kept getting sick and losing work due to this, it was 2 steps forward a billion back. In the end, I knew I had to ask for help and luckily was advised to talk with the Blue Cross and Battersea.
I was expecting a telling off if I'm honest, I was shaking contacting them. We were not irresponsible owners an accident had happened and we did start out in a position to afford everything, but would we receive kindness? I was sceptical and scared but at the end of my tether.
From the moment the first email was answered I was treated with nothing but love, kindness understanding and respect. I cried through most of the phone calls as stunned at the support received. We had hung on and all suffered for nearly 2 years as wanted to pay for this ourselves, now I wish I'd messaged years ago.
Battersea operated on all FOUR of my girls and this has saved us all!!!!! Everything has now changed for the better and my little ones are now comfortable, safe and completely peaceful and I am now in a position to save and get us a home over time, as our biggest issue has been solved.{ although loving off-grid life so much may seek an off-grid option, either way though, I now have my calmness and clarity back to fix everything}
Every member of staff, from the team that called at The Blue Cross, to the security guards at the entrance of Battersea, were like angels. After all we had been through it was terrifying handing my babies over, I was shaking and sobbing when I arrived as had the absolute worst running through my mind. Imagine getting this far and them dying under the knife! But staff were so gentle and supportive, they told me my girls would be treated as Queens and they surely were.
I was even allowed to bring car in to drop them off, which is not typical practice I understand. But with 4 and nowhere to park, plus extremely nervous dogs this was a godsend too. Staff did everything possible to make our lives easy. The security guards even checked on me as saw my distress and were super sweet and tried to make me laugh. The nurses came instantly to greet us and were so kind to the dogs and reassuring to me and all was done in just a few hours.
When I came to collect my babies' their tails were wagging and their bellies were full as they had been given tasty chicken to bring them around. They were gently put in my van wrapped in clean fluffy white towels with a tiny plaster over the stitching.
I was told the surgeons had used a less invasive surgery, you couldn't even see the stitches, they had free pain killers also for the next few days and honestly, I have had zero problems. Shaving was neat too and best of all 2 of the girls that used to fight when in season are now happy friends!!!!
I cannot praise these guys highly enough, every single member of staff was wonderful, even while inside Battersea I was overwhelmed by how loving the dog carers that passed us were. Talking to the dogs so they weren't nervous on their little walks, giving them so much love and everything is immaculate for them, their little gardens/ play areas were cute and safe and the atmosphere was amazing! It was such a heartwarming experience, it's restored my faith in humans after all of the bad and cruel news I've listened to during these last few insane years.
I will 1000% be trying to raise money for these guys for the rest of my days and encourage anyone out there, scared and in a similar position to me to pick up the phone, you can trust these guys and if you're in any position to help, donate or both towards The Blue Cross and Battersea, please do, they totally deserve all the support they can get.
Thank you all at The Blue Cross and Battersea you saved our lives and we will never forget you!!!!! Many blessings sweet earth angels!!!!!
written by TessAguirre154 on 08/07/2019
They don't really care about animals. They only worry about making money with them.
written by eunice77 on 07/10/2017
I'm completely and utterly devastated, heartbroken and angry for hearing that my beautiful loving sweet full of life and energy dog was killed by you Battersea dog and cats so called home, scared and all alone unbearable to imagine what he went through. I trusted that my baby will be rehomed (due to my change of circumstances were I could no longer give him the quality of life that he deserves)and loved and cared for like I and my children loved him dearly so much. This was a very tough decision for us to rehome him. But I was horribly wrong. I unknowingly sent my baby to be sentenced to death just days after he got there, he wasn't even given a chance. You say he is a banned breed that's what you say apparently it's just an excuse because you couldn't be bothered with him. My baby wasn't a threat you guys are. He must of been so frightened and scared. I wish I could off been there to comfort him even take him away if I could. My beautiful dog was such a gentle, happy,non aggressive dog, who we brought up well mannered trained in a loving home 5 weeks after he was born. Now being 5months pregnant I have to grieve the loss of my beloved dog and it's making me ill. I regret so much sending him to Battersea dogs so called home, you have really deceived me and the public with your lies of being caring and understanding. Battersea dogs and cats home is really a slaughterhouse .
written by ymOlson179 on 12/06/2017
We wanted to adopt a cat,We were asked some questions,have you got a cat flap,how many bedrooms in your house,as well as many other grilling questions.we felt that we were being talked down to to be honest,we were told that our house was to small as we had two cats and that two bedrooms wasn't enough for an additional cat! What a joke,don't have a wasted journey,go to an RSPCA Carter instead.
written by Wallacenh108 on 13/11/2016
i brought my lovely cat nsmed BLACKIE to battersea dogs and cats home on the 11th october 2016 at 4.00pm in the evening , when i got there this nice woman from behind the counter asked me to come with her to this side room , while we were in there she asked me some questions like HOW OLD IS HE ? , HAS HE BEEN WORMED ? , HAS HE BEEN TO A VET ? i answerd her questions and told her the name of the vet, then i was asked to sit outside untill the nurse came , the nurse came and walked straight past me with and went into the side room this smile on her face , when she came out she too started asking me questions , she asked me the same question again about the name of the vet , after this she said he will be taken upstairs to see the doctor , as i was leaving i could not stop thinking about why she asked me agian about the name of the vet DIDNT THE WOMAN BEFORE HER TYPE ANYTHING ONTO THE COMPUTER AS SHE WAS ASKING ME QUESTIOINS ? so i phoned the vet the next day just to check if thids nurse had phoned them and said anything bad about me I COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT THIS WOMAN AT THE VET SAID TO ( SHE TRIED TO TELL ME THAT ALL INFORMATION ON MY CAT BLACKIE WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND i have two cats and i brought both of them to the vet to be neutered SO HOW COME ONLY THE OTHER CATS INFORMATION WAS ON THE VETS COMPUTER AND NOT BLACKIES ? this nurse had phoned up the vet the very same day after i left and told the vet to erase all records of my cat BLACKIE this is outragous , why did she do this ? little does she know i have all the reciepts of blackie being there to be treated , what did they do to my cat blackie ? UP TILL THIS DAY WHEN I GO ONTO THE BATTERSEA DOGS AND CATS HOME WEB SITE TO CHECK IF HE IS IN THE NEW ARRIVALS OF RE HOMING SECTION I CANT SEE HIS PICTURE THERE , DID THEY PUT MY CAT BLACKIE TO SLEEEP ?
written by Leroy284 on 20/10/2016
I watch your programme with Paul o Grady but to me it is all false there are n other dogs shown just the 3 you show us you and the raspca put health dogs down and it's so bad you should be ashamed of the fact you take money f people to line you an pckets
written by Squeaky57 on 31/05/2016
We wanted to adopt two young cats (a year old or younger) as we have recently lost our second cat to cancer. We live in a flat in a house with manual access to a large garden. We were categorically refused. We were told that we couldn't adopt a young cat as an inside cat (although I'd explained they would have manual access to the garden). We were told that we could adopt an old or poorly cat as they could be kept indoors. Surely it would be cruel to suddenly confine an elderly cat to an indoor existence if they had been used to going outside whereas with a young cat they wouldn't know anything else. I definitely got the impression that Battersea were only interested in rehousing the elderly cats and the person interviewing us was obviously not going to budge.
written by terttu on 13/11/2015
I am completely heart broken. I had to give up our family dog following a divorce and selling of family home. She was over 10 years old, a gentle soul and much loved. Battersea initially put her in the dogs gallery. Only four days later they put her to sleep as she could not cope in the kennel environment and became anxious. According to them she started to harm herself. No organization is beyond reproach. Maybe Battersea Dogs Home have started to believe their own media hype that all what they do is for the love of dogs. Putting a poor dog down because the dog is not used to kennels and not informing the owner beforehand to give them a chance to take the dog back is not love. The reason I handed our dog there is because I truly believed that she would be well looked after and would get a good home. This is not an isolated incident. There is a petition on change.org to stop this inhumane putting healthy dogs to sleep by Battersea Dogs Home. The donations given to Battersea would be better used by Dogs Trust or smaller rescue centres who put dogs in the heart of everything they do. It is not the fame or prestige of the rescue center but each individual dog whose life is important. I have asked Battersea Dogs home for answers for why they acted as they did but have not received a reply although they promised to send me one.
written by on 09/11/2015
We brought our dog to battersea in the hope that she would find a solid home. She was only 8 months old when we left her with them, with there promise to look after her and get her a new home. The only reason we took her there was because we have 4 small dogs who are elderly and one of them was aggressive to our the new dog and we didn't think this was fair on our young puppie. And let's face it at 8 months she was a puppie. She was never aggressive to us at all. We stayed in touch and phoned regularly to battersea but they never said they were putting her to sleep. If they would of told us we would of got her back and struggled on. It's a big adjustment to a dog going from a family to kennels and at only 8 months old she deserved more than being put to sleep after only 1 month of being in there care. Also the message we received said the reason she was put to sleep was because she had shown behaviour similar to what we had experienced but we didn't experience any such behaviour only from our old dog who has arthritis so does get grumpy. What a waste of a life and a real disappointment that battersea could do this. I would never trust them again such a tragic waste of a young healthy dogs life.
written by Nicole.whitlock on 23/08/2015
As a family we rehomed George (Rottweiler cross) from battersea dogs home two years ago.. He is a very happy, loving dog despite the way that Rottweilers are judged in today's society. Today we went to battersea to introduce George to Berty (chihuahua cross shih tzu) that we had reserved after speaking to the rehomers on the phone about having the pair together. When we got there george was very excited to see new people and other dogs. He was not loud nor was he aggressive. The rehomer took one look at George and it was as if their mind was already made up. We were then taken into a meeting room to discuss the situation further to which we were told that Berty would not be suitable to live with George based on the fact that George has never, to our knowledge lived with another dog, however he was 8 when we got him from battersea and they didn't know any of his past history. We left battersea upset and disappointed. As a family that knows George and his personality we feel that having another dog around the house would have benefited him massively. Since having George his personality has changed due to the love and attention he recieves from us. The fact that the battersea staff would not even take the time to see what George was like with another dog is frustrating to say the least. when asked why we would like another dog, we replied as company for George, the rehomer then used the fact that we said 'when he is out for walks he doesn't take notice of other dogs' as George not wanted to live with one?! Although battersea do a good job, on this occasion our George wasn't even given a chance and was judged by his bread and therefore, when we want to rescue another dog, we will be using a different charity.
written by buHiggins284 on 29/04/2015
I unfortunately had to rehome my beloved dog to Battersea (due to a change in my circumstances the best option with my dog in mind was to rehome him) he was a nervous dog and unfortunately his nervousness came across as dangerously aggressive. I took him in last Tuesday and sat with them for well over an hour explaining EVERYTHING from how to handle him (especially if you're a stranger) to what he loves. I explained that he needed at least a week to get comfortable with his surroundings and comfortable with the people (he was put in an isolation unit due to his behaviour) even though I explained everything they needed to know about my dog, they clearly didn't listen to me and I emailed them on Saturday night to see how he was getting on, only to receive a reply on Sunday morning saying that they had to put him to sleep due to his behaviour issues. He didn't harm any of the staff whatsoever, and they felt that this was the only option??? after telling them that he needed at least A WEEK to settle in there and start feeling comfortable, he wasn't even there for 5 days!!! If my circumstances change and I have more stability in my life, I will get another dog, and I will be sure not to get a dog from Battersea. I understand they do a lot of good work for animals but this is just LOW and it makes me feel sick to my stomach that they just gave up on him like that. that dog was my absolute world and they just took his life so easily so easily!!
Written on: 29/04/2015
Hi, in certain cases, we do have to make the unfortunate decision to put a dog or cat to sleep but this is for medical or behavioural reasons only. It is never because it is taking too long to find a home for an animal. Because Battersea is not selective about the dogs we take in – we take in all strays and unwanted pets - we often take in animals with deep-rooted behavioural issues and/or serious medical problems. As an animal rehoming organisation, it would not be responsible for us to rehome a dog or cat with serious aggression or medical issues. In these very sad cases, we must make the difficult decision to put the dog or cat to sleep. But this is always a last resort for us here at the Home. If you would like to discuss this case further please email and someone will be in contact as soon as possible.
Written on: 12/06/2015
This response from a staff at Battersea is typical of the organizational culture I have witnessed. They hide behind their name and goodwill reputation. They answer in a standard politically correct way totally devoid of affect while on the other hand, they are very good at making people's heart melt when it comes to fund raising. There is also a culture of arrogance, lack of transparency and communication within the organization of which your sad story is a typical example.
written by Lorelei256 on 20/03/2015
I find it crazy that they won't adopt out a cat or kitten as an indoor only cat in London. I live in Central London so having outdoor cat would be irresponsible. They seem to think that keeping an indoor only cat in a large 1700 sq ft apartment is cruel. My dog is so loved and spoilt and so would a kitten be.
written by KenyaCastillo on 02/05/2014
They went against their promises and policies, I would never trust them again, I feel very cheated and heartbroken
written by on 14/02/2013
We registered in person 7 months ago. Have been checking dogs online and making phonecalls, writing emails, but apparently they still don't have a suitable dog for us. We have a spacious house, just two adults (one working from home), a garden, parks and woodland within walking distance. But apparently because we ourselves haven't "owned" a dog (the fact that both our parents did and we did our share of looking after, doesn't seem to matter) we have been classed as "first-time owners" and whenever we find a dog we like we keep on getting refused. Another thing, they keep on suggesting staffies, although we said clearly in our application we don't want staffies.
written by on 06/01/2013
Battersea Dogs home are FANTASTIC! I really don't understand why these reviews are all criticizing Battersea because of their much needed assessments. Battersea were excellent helping me find my dog! There have been far too many comparisons with RSPCA and Breeders on this site which is ridiculous. If you want to help out that much, then go the extra mile - there is no need to complain about fence heights and price - they are a charity that do an amazing job!
written by on 15/08/2012
What is the point of this place? In order to keep the cats and dogs alive, they feed them meat, which means killing cows (and pigs, etc). What's the point of it? Kill the cats and dogs that are stray. It will also force people to think twice before the buy and cat and dog if they know it will get killed if they abandon it.
Written on: 31/10/2012
I'm really glad I don't know you.
Written on: 16/05/2015
Putting the dogs and cats to sleep won't prevent people from dumping them, I used to volunteer in a small rescue in Yorkshire and most people who dump pets do not care what happens to the pet. This is why it's so important that places like Battersea exist.
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Magsmc's Comment
Written on: 10/03/2023
Wonderful story so pleased you were able to keep all your babies.
Good luck for the future ????????????