Mayhew Animal Home, established as a charity for animal welfare, is focused on improving the quality of life of dogs, cats, and their human caretakers. The organization believes that animal welfare and the well-being of individuals are interconnected, and therefore provides a variety of services focused on community to support animals and strengthen the bond between people and their pets. Mayhew provides traditional rescue and rehoming services and works proactively to prevent animal suffering by alleviating the problems faced by vulnerable pet owners and educating them about responsible pet ownership through practical assistance.

Mayhew has a vision of an animal welfare competent society where animal welfare is well documented, recognized, and a core value. The charity's mission not only encompasses providing sanctuary for animals that have been abandoned or neglected but also developing sustainable solutions that benefit both pets and their owners. The holistic approach of Mayhew acknowledges that supporting pet owners through difficult times is often an effective way to keep their pets from being abandoned, surrendered, or neglected. Mayhew combines rescue services with outreach to the community, offering veterinary services, preventive health services, behavioral support, and educational services that help ensure that pets are always able to live safely, healthily, and with their loving families.

Initiatives by Mayhew Animal Home

Pet Refuge

Pet Refuge is one of Mayhew's specialized support programmes designed to help people experiencing temporary crises keep their beloved pets. The service provides short-term shelter and professional care for animals whose owners are unable to look after them because of emergency or life-changing circumstances. Pet Refuge provides a temporary solution for both the animal and human parent rather than having the person give up their beloved pet for good, while at the same time ensuring the safety and well-being of both parties in the event of an unfortunate, short term, time of crisis.

This short-term program offers to help those who are going through a range of difficulties such as hospitalization, rehabilitation or other emergencies that temporarily prevent them from looking after their pets whilst they are resolving their issues. Mayhew provides quality care and support to the animals during that time within Mayhew’s premises or by carefully selected temporary foster carers until the animal can return to their owner.

When the human-animal bond is maintained during times of crisis, there is less emotional trauma for both humans and animals and, consequently, it will reduce the number of pets that are unnecessarily relinquished. This service is also consistent with Mayhew’s philosophy of the fact that supporting both people and pets together will yield a better long-term outcome than addressing either of their needs separately. The temporary companion care provided by the programme also allows the person to focus on resolving their personal situation, knowing that their animal is being properly cared for.

TheraPaws

TheraPaws is Mayhew's Animal Assisted Intervention programme, developed to enhance physical, emotional, and social wellbeing through positive interactions between people and specially assessed therapy dogs. Trained volunteer groups are able to go into various settings where animals can offer support, comfort, companionship, and meaningful interactions with people of all ages. The TheraPaws initiative includes three kinds of Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) that carry out three types of Activity or Initiatives. Each AAI is designed for a specific audience and purpose. The three types of AAI include Animal Assisted Activities (AAA), Collaborative Animal Assisted Therapeutic Services (CAAAT), and Collaborative Animal Assisted Educational Services (CAAES). Each AAI type is designed to support a variety of needs from encouraging social interaction to support therapeutic goals to enhance education.

TheraPaws provides support to individuals in many ways that assist with success of individual health and quality of life. Most notably, providing pet therapy dogs to interact with people decreases feelings of isolation or loneliness; increases ability to communicate, increases emotional well-being through the bonding opportunities between the therapy dog and the person receiving pet therapy, provides stress relief through love, companionship, and affection. For individuals suffering from dementia, pet therapy dogs assist to stimulate their long-term memories and emotions. The program is designed to also build stronger connections between those receiving services, volunteers, family members, and caregivers; thus creating a supportive environment for structured and meaningful interactions.

Outreach

Mayhew's Outreach Programme provides what the charity believes is a means for improving animal welfare directly through support of their communities. Rather than wait until problems become crises, they provide the support that at-risk families need in order to continue having a positive relationship with their animals. One of the key areas of focus for the Outreach Programme is the support of people who are homeless. For many people without stable housing, their dogs or cats provide them with much-needed companionship, emotional support, and stability. At the same time, access to basic veterinary care, food, and essential supplies for their pets can be difficult to obtain. Through its Community Animal Support Team, Mayhew provides free health checks, micro chipping, and practical advice to vulnerable pet owners, while also building relationships that will lead to the continued use of support services.

In addition to addressing the needs of those who are homeless, the Outreach Programme aims to provide relief from the increasing financial pressures faced by many pet owners. By collaborating with community food banks and providing direct distribution initiatives, Mayhew is able to provide free food, supplies, and care packages to pet owners during times of economic hardship. By taking this type of proactive approach, Mayhew helps to prevent pets from being surrendered because of financial ability and encourages responsible pet ownership in the communities it serves.

Elvira Meucci-Lyons - Chief Executive

Mayhew demonstrates that sustainable animal welfare begins with supporting both pets and people, creating stronger communities through prevention, compassion, and practical long-term solutions.