Labour Councillor for West End Ward, City of Westminster, Jessica Toale, has started the New Year with her first visit to London animal rescue charity, Mayhew.
As part of her tour of the charity on Friday 20 January, Councillor Toale learned about the breadth of the charity’s work across five boroughs in London and internationally. She also heard about the issues Mayhew is currently addressing with pet owners who are struggling or unable to keep their pets due to the cost of living crisis.
Vital services
Councillor Toale was shown some of the important services Mayhew offers pet owners ranging from its modern Community Vet Clinic which provides free of charge preventative veterinary care including neutering, vaccinations and micro-chipping to pet owners who cannot afford it to Individual Care Packages which contain key items pet owners may be struggling to afford, such as dog or cat food, collars, leads and bedding.
Councillor Toale was especially keen to understand more about the Pet Refuge programme that provides shelter and care for the pets of people unexpectedly and temporarily unable to care for their pets, and TheraPaws, an Animal Assisted Intervention programme designed to promote physical, social and emotional wellbeing. For more information about the services Mayhew provides pet owners, please visit
The importance of volunteers
Speaking about the visit, Councillor Toale explains, “One of the things that really came to light during my visit to Mayhew was just how much the charity depends on volunteers. They are a key part of the team and are needed and valued more than ever now.”
She continues, “Mayhew provides vital services free of cost for struggling pet owners, but it costs £6,000 a day to keep the centre open. Volunteers are essential to enabling Mayhew to continue to serve the community’s cats, dogs and their owners in these tough times. The Mayhew and its volunteers are an incredible force for good, delivering real impact in some of the most deprived areas of London. I cannot urge people enough to reach out and see how they can make a difference to charities like Mayhew by volunteering.”
Commenting about the visit, Sherine Wheeler, Mayhew’s Chief Executive said, “We were delighted to welcome Councillor Toale to Mayhew. As an animal lover and campaigner, we hope Councillor Toale will be able to champion some of the concerns that many pet owners in London and in her ward are experiencing now. We value our relationships with Councillors across the five boroughs of London in which we operate, and this marks the beginning of a very exciting and positive relationship with someone who really wants to know more about the issues a charity like Mayhew is facing in these challenging times.”
To find out more about volunteering, head to or to donate please visit
ENDS
For more information, please contact Esther Porta, PR, and Media Officer, on 07870 439 158 or email [email protected]
Notes to Editors
About Mayhew
Established in 1886, Mayhew is one of the most effective animal welfare charities in London. We help thousands of animals in need gain a better quality of life by delivering a broad range of community-based veterinary, social and education services in the UK and overseas.
Our team of Animal Welfare Officers work extensively with vulnerable pet owners across society, including the elderly, disabled, homeless and those facing a personal crisis, whether housing or health related. They offer a range of services including temporary foster care, a free pick up and return neutering service, free or low-cost preventative veterinary care and extensive animal behaviour and welfare advice.
We also work closely with local authorities to address pet ownership issues and collaborate with government and non-government agencies to address the challenges of misuse and visits care homes, hospices and hospitals across London boroughs mistreatment of companion animals. Our animal therapy programme, TheraPaws, visits care homes, hospitals and hospices in London boroughs promoting the human and animal bond and bringing well-being and joy to residents and patients.
In 2022 alone, the team at Mayhew: –
• Rehomed 32 dogs and 300 cats
• Reunited 66 missing or lost pets with their owners
• Administered 3,095 vaccinations in our UK outpatient clinics
• Neutered 1,078 animals across our UK outpatient clinics
• Carried out 6,831 animal interventions
