Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
With a worrying pre-emptive question from the picture desk about how squeamish I am, I was asked to head to the world-famous Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in south London to do a feature on the recently-opened Veterinary Hospital and Centre of Excellence. I've been in London for well over ten years now and have never set foot in this landmark building so was fascinated to see what I'd find.
If you're the type of person who DOESN'T want to see the odd ovary or gonad, it may be worth considering whether you wish to proceed.
The new wing has three new theatres, a dedicated dental suite and soundproofed recovery areas to prevent Fido from freaking out. It's all decidedly swish.
I was a little concerned as to how much blood and guts I'd be faced with before lunch but, in the end, it was just fascinating. The neutering process takes just minutes, with the staff carrying out the procedures with incredible efficiency. Having said that, the "snick" sound as a testicle was removed is still looping in my brain. I'll be steering clear of ravioli for a while...
After seeing the team working with and caring for these dogs and cats, it's clear that if you're looking to get a new pet, you should definitely look into getting an animal from here. You can browse the latest arrivals here before you head down there, to make life even easier. It's a brilliant organisation and one that I'm happy to see doing so well.
