Make it Rain Cats and Dogs: Worcestershire Homebuilder’s Donation Goes to Local Shelter
David Wilson Homes has reinforced its commitment to community well-being with a £1,500 donation to Worcestershire Animal Rescue Shelter (WARS) through its Community Fund scheme.
The charitable donation, made as part of The Barratt Foundation, will be put towards covering vital veterinary bills for the animals in its care.
As well as this contribution, employees at David Wilson Homes offered their assistance to WARS earlier this year as a team of 10 members of staff volunteered their time to help with facility maintenance, animal socialising and event preparations.
Amie Jones, Shelter Operations Manager at WARS, said: “We are a small team of seven dedicated staff members and have around 30 active volunteers, who we are so grateful to as, without them, we couldn’t help as many wonderful animals as we do. We don’t receive any government funding, and rely solely on the support of our community with memberships, sponsorships and community grants.
“After a busy year that doesn’t seem to be easing anytime soon, the shelter will use this money towards our veterinary bills. We’ve seen the highest intake of unwanted kittens coming into care in several years, either from homes that have unneutered females, or stray females that have been raising litters with no homes to call their own.
“We neuter, vaccinate, microchip and provide all other necessary vet care pre-adoption to enable our cats and dogs to be healthy and content while giving our adopters a piece of mind for their new companion.”
Established in 1983, WARS has worked tirelessly to provide the best care possible for animals. Having opened its doors to the public in 2001, its mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome abandoned, unwanted and mistreated animals and find them their forever home.
The charity’s work never stops, as they take in all unwanted, mistreated and stray cats and dogs. According to an article in Worcester News, the number of stray dogs around the city in particular is on the rise due to owners no longer being able to afford to keep a pet.
Amie continued: “We help hundreds of dogs and cats each year, whether that is through rehoming across the midlands or being a support network for people seeking advice or help. We will do our best to provide the necessary support or options available for each person and pet in need.
“I think it’s really important that local charities receive the support such as this donation, especially since the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis. With donations and income lower for a lot of charities, we still need to be able carry out our charity aims and ensure we are able to help as many animals and people as we can.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank David Wilson Homes again for supporting WARS and for the awesome volunteer team we had at the shelter. We will look forward to welcoming the team back this December.”
The charity’s Christmas fundraiser, ‘Santa Paws Meet and Greet’, will see Santa visit the shelter to have a professional photoshoot with local people’s dogs, with hot drinks and treats available for all visitors. Santa Paws 2024, will run between 11am and 3pm on Saturday 7th November.
Helen Lewis, Managing Director at David Wilson Homes Mercia, said: “We are thrilled to support Worcestershire Animal Rescue Shelter through our Community Fund scheme, and it’s an honour to be part of the incredible work it does to provide care and rehoming to the local cats and dogs.
“We’re delighted to be able to follow up our staff volunteering day at the shelter with this donation, and look forward to providing more support throughout the county.”
To learn more about the work of the charity, visit the website at Worcestershire Animal Rescue Shelter.
For details about any developments in the area, visit the website at David Wilson Homes in Worcestershire.
