Well, summer has well and truly arrived. After months of grey skies and muddy walks, the sun has finally decided to stick around, and the sanctuary has spent much of the month doing its best impression of a heatwave survival camp.
It has been hot. Properly hot. And while many of you will have been making the most of it in the garden, on the beach, or simply enjoying a slower pace over the bank holidays, the sanctuary doesn’t get to clock off when the temperature climbs.
We are here every single day of the year, and the warm weather brings its own set of challenges for the animals and the team alike.
It has still been a wonderful month, though, with another big group of animals heading off to start their next chapter.
Keeping Cool in the Heat
With the hot weather this month, we dusted off dozens of cool mats that had been sitting in storage all winter, patiently waiting for the British summer to begin. Naturally, the animals took one look at them and chose to lie on the baking hot floor right next to them instead. The paddling pools were also out in force for the dogs, who love nothing more than a good splash about.
We switched the daily routine around to keep everyone comfortable, taking the dogs out first thing in the morning before the worst of the heat and saving the cleaning for later in the day.
Spare a thought for the team, who have the hardest job of all in this weather.
The small animals team in particular carry out barrier nursing, which means putting overalls on and off between rooms to prevent germs being transferred from one space to another. It is tough work at the best of times, let alone in the heat, but it is absolutely essential for hygiene and welfare.
A huge thank you to all of them for getting on with it day in, day out, especially in conditions like these.
66 Animals Rehomed!
Another busy month saw us wave cheerio to a further 66 animals. Thank you to all of you wonderful adopters for taking them into your lives and homes.
58 Cats and Kittens
Aruba, Munchie, Ripple, Ziggy, Bunny, Fox, Wren, Rory, Grace, Rocy, Eric, Charlie, Geoffrey, April, Milo, Moss, Apple, Gnomeo, Prince, Leo, Rhubarb, Shadow, Mabel, Minnie, Toby, Bella, Plum, Gizmo, Bronte, Byron, Quinn, Daisy, Maxi, Sherlock, Buttons, Biscuit, Darcy, Matilda, Pan, Minnie, Toby (a different one), Crumble and her daughter Blackberry, Luna, Billi, Kitty and Martin.
You’ll notice a real literary theme running through some of those names this month. Bronte, Byron, Darcy, Matilda and Sherlock could just about start their own book club, and we rather like the idea of them all curled up somewhere with a good novel and a sunny windowsill.
3 Dogs
Buster the Jack Russell cross, Ava the Staffy and Mike the Greyhound.
Mike had been with us for over 250 days, so seeing him head off to a home of his own is especially pleasing. A long wait, but a very happy ending.
Ava the staffy, who had been in a foster home for a long time too, found her forever home as well.
5 Rabbits
The trio of Hils, Nic and Penny, who had been in our care with a wonderful foster carer for a year and a half, plus the handsome and charismatic Rodney (not a plonker at all) and Rocky (not a boxer either).
A long-awaited result for the trio in particular, and we’re delighted they’ve all gone off together.
A Super Recovery for Paddington and McNugget
Some of you will have been following the story of Paddington and McNugget, and we’re pleased to report that both have now had their procedures and are recovering well.
McNugget has returned to the sanctuary and is happily playing with her siblings as though nothing ever happened. Paddington is back with her foster mum, who has been by her side throughout the whole ordeal. It’s still very early days, but she passed urine on her own for the first time this morning, which is a really encouraging step. We’re hopeful that movement in her hind legs will continue to return over the coming weeks.
None of this would have been possible without you. Thanks to everyone who donated towards their procedures, we raised an incredible £3,226.50.
Once again, your generosity has completely blown us away.
We always say it, but it’s true every time: we are so lucky to have supporters like you, who help us help the animals who need it most. 🧡
John Sanford: A Tribute
We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of John Sanford, who volunteered tirelessly at our Didcot charity shop for many years.
John was a much-loved part of the OAS family. He greeted everyone with a beaming smile and had a warm, welcoming way about him, and his kindness, dedication and hard work made a lasting impact on both our team and the many people who met him over the years.
We are incredibly grateful for everything John did for the charity and for the time he gave so selflessly. He will be greatly missed by us all. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with John’s family and loved ones.
Kitten Food Appeal: Thank You
For the first time in our 58-year history, we now have more cats in foster homes than we do at the sanctuary itself. Over the past two years we’ve trebled the number of foster carers, driven by a significant increase in pregnant females coming into our care. And, of course, they all need feeding.
Over the past few weeks, we have been inundated with gifts from our Amazon Wishlist for our kittens and other animals, along with deliveries from Tesco, Zooplus and other pet retailers.
And that’s before we even mention everyone who donated financially.
It really does make all the difference. Pictured below are just a few of the little ones you’ve helped. Thank you so much, every single contribution counts. 💚
Thank You!
Every adoption and every donation counts, and together they give these animals their chance of a forever home.
Whether you’ve spent the recent weeks in the garden, away with family, or simply enjoying a slower pace, please know that your support is what keeps us going through all 365 days of the year.
If you’d like to support our work, you can donate here.
From all of us at Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary, thanks for your unwavering support.
🐾 The Team at Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary