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1886 The Mayhew Animal Home is founded as ‘The Home for Starving and Deserted Cats’ by the West London Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

1889 A permanent home is built thanks to the generosity of the Reverend Thomas Evans, a local clergyman, at a cost of £1200.

1895 The Home expands to provide help for dogs as well as cats and becomes ‘The Home for Lost Cats and Dogs’.

1844 A Royal Charter is granted to create the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

1897 Our Dumb Friends League is founded (later becomes Blue Cross).

1950s Tinned food is not available, so each day a huge pan of meat is cooked, and made ready for the following day in order to feed the dogs and cats at The Mayhew.

1939–1945 The Mayhew remains open throughout World War II offering refuge to desperate homeless animals and owners. Large numbers of dead animals are brought to The Home who arrange for them to be buried in lime pits

in Romney Marshes. Veterinary

surgeries are maintained but on a smaller scale due to the large-scale evacuation of people from London during the Blitz.

1960 Abandonment of Animals Act makes it illegal to abandon an animal in circumstances likely to cause any unnecessary suffering.

1951 The Pet Animals Act is passed protecting the welfare of animals sold as pets.

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association is founded.

2000 The Cattery is rebuilt thanks to a generous legacy, with two-tiered cabins for adult cats and 3-tiered blocks for kittens.

2000 The Mayhew travels to Wales twice a month to collect unwanted strays who would have been put down, saving 200 animals a year.

2000 The Mayhew’s Animal Care NVQ Programme starts.

2006 The Mayhew’s new Community Vet Clinic is completed and opens, providing free and low-cost neutering, affordable vaccinations, microchipping and flea and worm treatments to all pet owners. New X-ray facilities and diagnostic

2006 Mayhew International initiates the ‘International Vet Training Programme’. Intensive training for overseas vets interested in addressing dog and cat welfare issues.

equipment speeds up treatment for patients.

The Mayhew is registered as a recognised training centre for veterinary nurses.

2006 The Mayhew starts working with Shepherd’s Bush Met Police to educate the community on the oversupply of Staffies in the area.

2006 The Animal Welfare Act is passed. It increases and introduces new penalties to tackle acts of cruelty, neglect, mutilation, tail docking, animal fighting and giving pets as prizes. In addition it introduces a duty of care for all pet owners.

2013 Mayhew International collaborates with Mission Rabies and HOPE and Animal Trust in Ranchi, India, on two weeks of surgical training and intensive anti-rabies vaccinations. 5,000 dogs are vaccinated.

2014 The Mayhew’s Pick & Snip initiative is launched for cats (extended to dogs in 2015). Pets are picked up from owners who are unable to get to us, neutered, treated and returned.

2015 Work starts on The Mayhew’s vet clinic expansion.

1937 Over 1,000 stray and unwanted dogs and cats are collected by The Home every month. Up to 50 animals are treated in the Vet Clinic in one evening.

1925 The Mayhew falls into disrepair and the RSPCA takes over the running. Renovations are carried out, a new cattery is built and a veterinary clinic with an animal ambulance service opens.

1948 Veterinary Surgeons Act is passed giving RCVS powers over education and prevention of unqualified practice.

1927 Cats Protection League is founded (later becomes Cats Protection).

1924 Wood Green’s centre is opened in North London to help abandoned and injured animals on the streets of London following the First World War.

2001 The Mayhew’s new outreach programme is launched to reduce the number of unwanted animals.

2001 Mayhew International starts working in Moscow, and convinces the authorities to stop their ‘catch and kill’ policy for street dogs with a move towards spay/neuter projects.

2001 and 2004 The kennel blocks at The Mayhew are refurbished to establish a calm, relaxing, reduced-stress environment for dogs.

2001 The Pet Passport Scheme is introduced by EU member countries. Later rolled out to other non-EU countries.

2004 The Mayhew’s Pet Refuge Scheme is launched, offering temporary foster care for pet owners in a crisis.

2005 Mayhew International starts working with HOPE & Animal Trust in Ranchi, India, supporting an Animal Birth Control programme and temporary shelter for street dogs.

2002 The Mayhew becomes the reception point for Brent Council strays.

2015 Mayhew International completes the world’s first Dog Population Survey in 22 districts in Kabul, Afghanistan.

2015 The Mayhew rehomes 416 cats and 90 dogs, helps over 1,300 animals in the community, microchips 1,243 animals, and neuters 2,062 animals.

April 2016 The newly expanded vet clinic opens offering training to UK and overseas vets and more space for low cost treatments and consultation rooms to see hundreds more animals.

April 2016 Microchipping for dogs becomes compulsory in England, Scotland and Wales.

1983 The RSPCA allows The Mayhew to re-open under the name of ‘The Mayhew Animal Home and Humane Education Centre’.

1982 Due to financial shortages, The Mayhew is closed by the RSPCA despite protests.

1981 More than 13,000 animals were looked after by a team of 12 staff in this year at The Mayhew.

1987 Mandatory Dog Licences are abolished due to non-compliance and lack of enforcement. The cost of a Dog Licence is 37 pence.

1984 The title ‘veterinary nurse’ is first used.

1998 The Mayhew expands its veterinary services and employs vets on-site.

2000 The Mayhew develops the Animal Welfare Officer concept to work out in the local communities providing support and advice to both animal and owner.

2000 The Mayhew helps the London homeless and their dogs. Dogs are given food, collars, leads, health checks and basic treatment.

1991 Dangerous Dogs Act is passed to regulate or prohibit the ownership of certain breeds and types of dogs within the UK.

2007 The Mayhew works with Brent Council and the Met Police on the first collaboration of its kind, Brent Action for Responsible K9s (BARK) to tackle the irresponsible use and mistreatment of dogs. Other London Boroughs roll out the successful initiative.

2006 The Mayhew is the first charity to offer free neutering for Staffies and Staffie crosses. On average 30 Staffies per month are neutered. Later expands to all Bull breeds.

2007 Non-statutory register of veterinary nurses commences.

2007 The mutilation of dogs by tail docking is banned (with a few exceptions for certain breeds).

2007 Mayhew International starts support for Russian vets who received training at The Mayhew’s Clinic with spay and neuter projects in Moscow.

2012 TheraPaws initiative launches. Volunteers and their dogs visit care homes and the elderly.

2013 Mayhew International starts working with Tbilisi city council to address dog population issues. The Mayhew vet team travels there to provide intensive training.

1791 The London Veterinary College is founded.

1822 The world’s first legislation for animal welfare is passed ‘The Cruelty Treatment of Cattle Act’.

1824 The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (later becomes RSPCA) is founded in a London coffee shop.

1904 The Home is renamed ‘The Mayhew Animal Home’ in honour of its first superintendent, Anne Mayhew.

1906 The Mayhew is renamed ‘The Mayhew Home for Cats and Dogs’ with a remit to ‘provide shelter, food and care and good homes, where possible, for lost and starving cats and dogs’.

1911 A tricycle is employed to carry animals to and from The Mayhew, with no less than 3,500 animals passing through the doors that year.

1907–1909 A total of 125,833 stray dogs are seized by the Metropolitan Police. A return fee of one shilling is levied which goes to the Police Fund.

1911 The Protection of Animals Act is passed making it an offence to cause any unnecessary suffering to domestic, captive and farm animals.

‘The Mayhew remains open throughout World War II offering refuge to desperate homeless animals and owners.’

‘More than 13,000 animals were looked after’

‘The Mayhew helps the London homeless and their dogs’

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‘Pick & Snip initiative is launched’

‘Mayhew International completes the world’s first Dog Population Survey in Kabul’

Follow our journey from humble beginnings as a Home for Starving and Deserted Cats to present day where our reach extends across London and many overseas communities. Our work today includes UK and global programmes for humane education, animal welfare, veterinary training and rabies prevention.

The Mayhew Animal Home130 years of Caring

Registered charity 1077588