On Tuesday, March 17, 2015, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh opened the new £4.8 milliom Mary Tealby kennels at the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in London, England.
Since 1860 the organization has “…been rescuing, reuniting and rehoming lost, abandoned and unwanted animals…” Her Majesty The Queen is patron of the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home since 1956.
According to a press release the new:
“…canine facilities will play a vital role in supporting the dogs during their early days at Battersea, improving and speeding up their journey towards a loving new home.
[The kennels will also] replace the noisy and out-dated Victorian facilities that were closed in 2012 after providing a home to around one million dogs over the centuries. The new block, designed by Battersea and award-winning architects Jonathan Clark Associates and delivered by contractor Lakehouse will provide accommodation for 56 dogs. The focus is on providing a quiet, calming environment for the Home’s most vulnerable dogs. Each kennel has built in speakers to play calming music and an external run area, whilst adjoining paddocks have paddling pools, climbing mounds, play equipment, and plants to awaken and interest dogs’ senses.
The new kennels will help Battersea respond to an all-time high demand for its services. In the past three years, the charity has seen an 84% increase in calls from owners wanting to give up their dogs to the rescue. Accommodation issues such as eviction and downsizing are the most common reasons, and around 13 dogs arrive at the Home’s three centres every single day.”