[A]s part of Oak Tree Animals’ Charity’s community programme, the charity has received a £10,000 grant to create a part-time education officer role providing support and advice to animal owners in our region.
Oak Tree’s Community Programme, established in 2016, looks to provide a proactive approach to animal welfare by providing education and practical animal welfare support to owners and their animals.
Caroline Johnson, General Manager explains “Oak Tree’s community approach is vital, allowing us to effectively support owners and animals who need our help in our region. The rehoming process, while essential, is intrinsically reactive; something has gone wrong and relationships between animals and owners have broken down. People seldom get a pet with the expectation of having to rehome it. Often when people are faced with having to rehome their pet they face significant stress, anguish and will do everything to try to avoid giving up that much loved family member.
Our Community Programme allows us to be proactive, to try to find solutions to keep pets in loving homes wherever possible and appropriate. The team offer advice and support regarding a wide range of pet matters including neutering, microchipping, preventative care, initial pet choice and animal husbandry. They work with local partners to offer support in animal hoarding and feral cat situations. The team also provides support to animal owners in distress in partnership with Carlisle foodbank and other local organisations.
We are delighted to have received this grant from The Ostacchini Family Charitable Trust to enable us to welcome a part time education officer into the team at Oak Tree. We are currently recruiting for this role and hope to find someone who will help us make a significant difference to our community and develop our schools and community group work further. Prevention is certainly better than cure, and by being able to provide good quality advice on pet choice and animal husbandry we can try to help prevent unnecessary animal (and owner) suffering occurring in the future.”
For further information about Oak Tree Animals’ Charity’s Community Programme or information about the charity and how you can help please visit www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk or call 01228 560082.