Mayhew and Crisis, the national homeless charity have teamed up for the 12th year running to help people and animals affected by homelessness this Christmas. 
Animal welfare charity, Mayhew will support Crisis by providing kennels at one of their Christmas centres, where owners experiencing homelessness will receive shelter, food, warm clothes, and advice to get back on their feet. Their dogs will also benefit from a full canine health check, jackets, collars and food.
Members of the public can also help to support Mayhew and Crisis by purchasing one of the five specially designed virtual gift cards, which will fund much needed items and services for people and pets.
Additionally, Mayhew’s Animal Welfare Officers will be training Crisis volunteers throughout November and December in order to ensure that dogs receive the best care alongside their owners during the winter period.
A dog is often the only companion for someone who doesn’t have a place to call home, and this is why the critical work both Mayhew and Crisis do to help people and animals needs extra support from the public at this time of year.
Mayhew CEO, Caroline Yates, said: “Homelessness is devastating, and we already know that the expense of pet food and vet care puts and extra burden on people already in a vulnerable position.
“We believe that helping people and helping animals comes hand in hand, and we are therefore thrilled to have joined forces with Crisis yet again. Together, we can help keep homeless people and their beloved pets warm and well looked after this Christmas.”
Mayhew’s Animal Welfare teamwork with Crisis team leaders and volunteers who are scheduled to help out at Crisis Christmas centres, ensuring everyone feels comfortable and clued up on how best to interact with the dogs and dog owners.
Crisis volunteers first visit Mayhew for a full day in mid-November, to learn about Mayhew’s unique approach to animal welfare – including our Pet Refuge Programme and the community-based programmes that help vulnerable people and their pets throughout the year.
AJ Ford, Deputy Head of Animal Welfare at Mayhew, said: “Mayhew’s Animal Welfare teamwork with vulnerable people and their dogs all year around, and we are honoured to help and support Crisis Christmas Centres again this year.
“We look forward to meeting this years’ volunteers at our upcoming training sessions, which will help everyone understand the root causes of why people and their animals may become homeless in the first place, and how each of our charities can make a real difference.
“During our time supporting Crisis, we can also help to detect any health issues that attending dogs may have, so that we can refer them to Mayhew’s own vet clinic. We also offer free neutering and flea and worming treatments. As with all of our work, we strive to keep owners and animals together for as long as possible, at Christmas and beyond.”
In addition to supporting Crisis Christmas centres, Mayhew and Crisis have launched a new range of gift cards, designed to make a real difference to people and dogs who are homeless.
By purchasing a virtual gift card, members of the public will be able to help two frontline charities tackle homelessness during one of the hardest seasons. The gift cards are priced at £5, £10, £15, £20 and £50 and are available to buy from the Crisis website from Thursday 14 December.
