From complex rescues and feral cats to long-stay rabbits and dogs with behavioural needs, our shelter teams have shown extraordinary dedication this year.
I’m proud to report that so far this year, our fantastic shelter team has rehomed 106 cats, 32 small animals, and 49 dogs. These figures are especially impressive given the unique challenges each team has faced over the past months.
We’ve significantly increased our work supporting feral cat populations and assisting with cat hoarding cases across Devon. I’m incredibly proud of our cat team’s dedication to providing the most stress-free environment possible for less-socialised cats. This is a type of work not every shelter is equipped to take on, as it requires not only more time and patience but also specialist knowledge. Finding the right homes, whether that’s a calm household with understanding owners or a farm setting where cats can live more independently, takes great care, compassion, and expertise.
As highlighted in our Spring PAWs magazine, our dog team, together with Millie, our Animal Welfare Officer, stepped up to rescue and rehome 20 Chihuahuas from a single property. This created a sudden and intense workload, which they handled with impressive professionalism and care. This year, we’ve also taken in more dogs with complex behavioural needs than ever before. With the expert support of Hannah, our Animal Behaviourist, the team continues to expand their knowledge and skills to help dogs who need extra support. Some of the dogs who arrive at Little Valley come from heartbreaking circumstances, and I’m proud to say that we welcome dogs that many other centres are not able to accept. The transformations we’ve seen, thanks to the dedication, patience, and training provided by their handlers, have been nothing short of remarkable.
Our small animal team has been quietly working away, providing dedicated care to some of our most overlooked and misunderstood species. We’re excited to share that we’re now on track to begin work on our new purpose-built rabbit and guinea pig accommodation ‘The Warren’ very soon. As always, the team has remained committed to finding loving homes for every animal in our care, but with building works approaching, there has been a renewed push to rehome as many rabbits as possible ahead of the changes. These extra efforts have paid off, with several long-stay residents finally adopted, including Tofu, a white lop who spent 1 year and 10 months with us, simply overlooked time and again despite her gentle nature. Tofu originally came to us all the way from an RSPCA centre in Kent, after being rescued from a major rabbit hoarding case. We’re incredibly excited about the rebuild, which will allow the team to continue their vital work for these often-overlooked species, ensuring that Little Valley becomes a centre of excellence in the care, rehabilitation, and rehoming of small animals who so often go unseen.
As we reflect on the first half of the year, I’m incredibly proud of what our teams have achieved, often under challenging circumstances. From complex rescues and long-term rehabilitation cases to quiet, compassionate daily care, their dedication continues to change lives. Thank you to everyone, staff, volunteers, supporters, and adopters, who make this work possible. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the year brings.
