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Queen steps down from animal charities
queen at Battersea
The Queen visiting Battersea Dogs and Cats in 2015.

Patronage of 25 charities will end after 90th birthday year
 
Buckingham Palace has announced that Her Majesty the Queen will step down as patron of a number of charities, including the Animal Health Trust (AHT), Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT).

The Queen is currently patron of more than 600 organisations, but following her 90th birthday earlier in 2016 she will end her patronage of 25 charities at the end of the year. Other members of the royal family will take over these patronages in the coming months.

Her Majesty follows in the footsteps of the Duke of Edinburgh, who resigned from a number of his patronages after his 90th birthday in 2011.

Battersea's chief executive, Claire Horton, said the charity feels "immensely honoured" to have enjoyed six decades of the Queen's patronage.

"The Queen has a very special place in the hearts of all our staff and volunteers, many of whom have been lucky enough to have met Her Majesty on one of her visits to our centres," she added. "We know that Her Majesty takes a keen and active interest in every cause she supports, and we feel so very fortunate to have had such a lasting, treasured relationship with our much loved and respected Monarch.

"Thank you from all our dogs and cats, Ma’am, you’ve helped ensure our vital work and our contribution to society is fully recognised on the world stage."

WWT also thanked the Queen for her longstanding support and welcomed the news that His Royal Highness Prince Charles - the trust's president - is set to take over her patronage.

Chief executive Martin Spray CBE commented: "We have been very fortunate to benefit from Her Majesty’s patronage for many decades. Her relationship with us began before her coronation when she visited our headquarters at Slimbridge. She has since made many happy visits to our wetland centres around the country, which has helped those wetland centres to become such a success."

Image © Battersea Dogs and Cats Home

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Birmingham Dogs Home makes urgent appeal

News Story 1
 Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.

The rescue centre has seen a dramatic increase in dogs coming into its care, and is currently caring for over 200 dogs. With rising costs and dropping temperatures, the charity is calling for urgent support.

It costs the charity £6,000 per day to continue its work.

Fi Harrison, head of fundraising and communications, said: "It's heart-breaking for our team to see the conditions some dogs arrive in. We really are their last chance and hope of survival."

More information about the appeal can be found here. 

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News Shorts
Avian flu confirmed at premises in Cornwall

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial poultry at a premises near Rosudgeon, Cornwall.

All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

The case is the second avian flu case confirmed in commercial poultry this month. The H5N5 strain was detected in a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in early November. Before then, the disease had not been confirmed in captive birds in England since February.

The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.