Freshfields Animal Rescue chosen as a recipient of Paul O’Grady Tribute Fund of £20,000

Freshfields Animal Rescue have been chosen as one of the five recipients of Paul O’Grady Tribute Fund which is £480k. Battersea will be sharing over a fifth of the funds raised between five other animal charities close to Paul’s heart. Freshfields Animal Rescue, Carla Lane Animals in Need and The Oldies Club, all charities near Paul’s birthplace of Liverpool who will be receiving a gift of £20,000 each.

Manager of Freshfields Animal Rescue, Deb Hughes said: “It is a real honour to have been chosen as a recipient of the Paul O’Grady tribute fund by Battersea. Paul’s passion for animal welfare helped enormously with shining a light on rescue animals who need a second chance in life.”

“This generous funding will help carry on his incredible legacy by allowing us to care, support and give medical attention to rescued animals. We are planning to use it for preventative work.  Always better than cure!  We want to expand our vet facilities for neutering for more dogs and cats from our Liverpool centre.  It is desperately needed as there is an enormous challenge for us with the overpopulation of pets.”

“In 2022, there are 11 million cats and 12 million dogs in the UK.

60% households own a pet.”

“There is a 30% increase in requests for help across the board.  For us its 50%.  In 2021, we had 580 dogs we couldn’t take in - this year its 150 a month, or 1800 a year.”

“We want Paul’s legacy to prevent dogs and cats from abandonment and risk of an early end to their life."

"We will be able to neuter many more dogs with this funding. We do need everyone to help by not letting your dog or cat have a litter. And we would ask everyone: please neuter the pets you have."

"That way, together, we’ll make sure we do Paul proud and carry on his fantastic legacy."

"Paul was rightly loved and respected by people of Merseyside and it’s all the more meaningful that this funding will transform the lives of many animals in Liverpool and the North West. We will do him proud”.

Deb Hughes

Top Photo:

Stuey from the Cattery and Felix the cat J

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About Battersea -

Battersea names veterinary hospital in honour of late ambassador Paul O'Grady and shared plans for £480k Tribute Fund raised by the public.

Battersea to name state of the art clinic facilities after Ambassador £480k tribute fund to help dogs and cats with complex medical needs.

£100k of the fund is to go to 5 other animal charities close to the entertainer’s heart.

Today, on what would have marked the 11th anniversary of Paul O’Grady MBE becoming an Ambassador for Battersea, the leading animal welfare charity has announced plans to help thousands of animals in need with money raised from public donations following his passing.

Almost 20,000 donations were made to Battersea in Paul’s honour from generous members of the public wanting to pay their respects and express their gratitude. A staggering £480,000 was donated and after consulting with Paul’s closest family and friends Battersea is sharing how the money will go towards helping those animals most in need.

In addition to honouring the late presenter by naming Battersea’s state of the art clinic facilities ‘The Paul O’Grady Veterinary Hospital’, the charity will spend the funds helping dogs and cats who need specialist care and treatment.

Every year, Battersea invests hundreds of thousands of pounds providing the very best care for animals and, where possible, these animals are treated by Battersea’s expert veterinary team; however, in some cases external specialists and surgical teams are needed. Battersea will use the tribute fund on life-saving and transformative medical procedures for these animals in their care.

Dogs like two-year-old Newfoundland, Peggy, who Paul met whilst filming the last series of ITV show Paul O’Grady: For the love of Dogs. The presenter followed Peggy’s progress as she underwent life-changing surgery during her time at Battersea before going on to find her forever home.

Battersea will be sharing over a fifth of the funds raised between five other animal charities close to Paul’s heart. Freshfields Animal Rescue, Carla Lane Animals in Need and The Oldies Club, all charities near Paul’s birthplace of Liverpool who will be receiving a gift of £20,000 each along with StreetVet for whom Paul was Ambassador and RSPCA Ashford Green Cattery where he was President and was local to Paul’s home in Kent.

Peter Laurie, Battersea’s Chief Executive, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed and deeply touched by the generous donations from thousands of people following the death of our beloved Ambassador, Paul O’Grady. It really is a testament to how loved Paul was, and we shall always be forever grateful for everything he did for us. As an Ambassador for Battersea, especially during his 11 years filming For the Love of Dogs, Paul helped animals in their recuperation from surgery, and at times, watched as they headed offsite for specialist surgery; naming our veterinary hospital after Paul, therefore, feels fitting. We are pleased to also be able to share donations with other charities who support rescue animals. Paul was always a champion of the underdog, and we’ll be carrying on his legacy, by ensuring we use the funding to go the extra mile for animals that need costly surgery, medication, or rehabilitation.”

Paul’s husband, Andre Portasio, said: “Seeing how loved Paul was by so many has been truly touching. Paul was so passionate in his support of rescue animals, and it gives me some comfort to know that through the hard work and commitment of Battersea and other charities Paul’s legacy will live on. I know that Paul would have been pleased to know that the most disadvantaged animals he was so fond of championing are getting the love and support they deserve.”

To find out more and how to support Battersea, visit: https://www.battersea.org.uk

• At Battersea we offer our love and expert care to dogs and cats who need us by rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals at our centres, and by sharing our knowledge and resources with rescue organisations around the world. We do this because we want to help every dog and cat, everywhere.

• In 2022 Battersea directly cared for 2,278 dogs and 2,253 cats at our three centres. We also helped thousands more through our Communities programme, campaigning work, supporting other rescue centres and animal welfare advocates, and sharing knowledge and advice with pet owners.

• We’re reliant on the generosity of the public to continue to fund our vital work helping dogs and cats and the people who care for them. To donate to Battersea, visit: https://donate.battersea.org.uk

• In addition to the site in South West London, Battersea also has two other centres based at Old Windsor, Berkshire and Brands Hatch, Kent.

• To find out more visit our website or follow Battersea on Twitter @battersea_ , Instagram @battersea or facebook.com/Battersea