Save Cambridge Blue Cross Cat Rehoming Centre

The Issue

Cambridge cat-lovers were appalled to learn of plans to close the Blue Cross Cambridge Rehoming Centre, which has been helping cats in the city for nearly a hundred years.

A record number of pets are expected to need new homes this year as people return to workplaces. Please sign this petition to let Blue Cross Head Office know how much the Cambridge Rehoming Centre’s work means to cats and cat-lovers in Cambridgeshire, and how vital it is to keep the centre open.

Cambridge Blue Cross has been part of the city since 1935, when the site was given to the charity for the benefit of local cats. Over this time, the Cambridge rehoming centre has become a loved and trusted local and regional resource. It is also unique, having both modern cattery accommodation and highly experienced staff able to work with even the most challenging cats and get them to the stage where they are able to be rehomed.

The national Blue Cross charity faces financial challenges, but replacing this rehabilitation and rehoming centre with a remote pet fostering service as proposed will simply not meet current or future needs of cats in and beyond Cambridgeshire.

Whilst remote fostering services for cats already exist via the Cats Protection League and RSPCA, there is a severe lack of experienced foster carers. I myself have adopted three ‘special needs’ cats from Cambridge Blue Cross, but would not have done so without having been able to meet them at the centre.

The charitable mission of the Blue Cross is to ‘ensure that every pet will enjoy a healthy life in a happy home’. Closing the Cambridge centre would greatly reduce this ability – fewer cats will be helped; those most in need will not be helped; and the incredible expertise of the centre’s staff to deliver this mission will be lost.

Clearly, there is an urgent need to raise extra money, but please do not close the Cambridge Blue Cross centre – once lost, the purpose-built facilities could not be regained and too many cats would suffer if the centre were lost. There would also be little incentive for anyone to donate to the charity in the future.

Speaking as a carer and volunteer for the centre, and as a cat-lover, the plans to close the centre and lose the unique, badly needed and irreplaceable resources it offers to cats in need are devasting. Please keep the centre open at all costs, and give staff and supporters a chance to help raise the money needed to do so.

 

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Lesley MackiePetition Starter
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12,914

The Issue

Cambridge cat-lovers were appalled to learn of plans to close the Blue Cross Cambridge Rehoming Centre, which has been helping cats in the city for nearly a hundred years.

A record number of pets are expected to need new homes this year as people return to workplaces. Please sign this petition to let Blue Cross Head Office know how much the Cambridge Rehoming Centre’s work means to cats and cat-lovers in Cambridgeshire, and how vital it is to keep the centre open.

Cambridge Blue Cross has been part of the city since 1935, when the site was given to the charity for the benefit of local cats. Over this time, the Cambridge rehoming centre has become a loved and trusted local and regional resource. It is also unique, having both modern cattery accommodation and highly experienced staff able to work with even the most challenging cats and get them to the stage where they are able to be rehomed.

The national Blue Cross charity faces financial challenges, but replacing this rehabilitation and rehoming centre with a remote pet fostering service as proposed will simply not meet current or future needs of cats in and beyond Cambridgeshire.

Whilst remote fostering services for cats already exist via the Cats Protection League and RSPCA, there is a severe lack of experienced foster carers. I myself have adopted three ‘special needs’ cats from Cambridge Blue Cross, but would not have done so without having been able to meet them at the centre.

The charitable mission of the Blue Cross is to ‘ensure that every pet will enjoy a healthy life in a happy home’. Closing the Cambridge centre would greatly reduce this ability – fewer cats will be helped; those most in need will not be helped; and the incredible expertise of the centre’s staff to deliver this mission will be lost.

Clearly, there is an urgent need to raise extra money, but please do not close the Cambridge Blue Cross centre – once lost, the purpose-built facilities could not be regained and too many cats would suffer if the centre were lost. There would also be little incentive for anyone to donate to the charity in the future.

Speaking as a carer and volunteer for the centre, and as a cat-lover, the plans to close the centre and lose the unique, badly needed and irreplaceable resources it offers to cats in need are devasting. Please keep the centre open at all costs, and give staff and supporters a chance to help raise the money needed to do so.

 

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Lesley MackiePetition Starter
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12,914

The Decision Makers

Chris Burghes
Chris Burghes
CEO, Blue Cross
Responded
“Blue Cross can today confirm that, following in-depth consultations, we will be changing our presence in Cambridge by closing our rehoming centre in Garlic Row and opening a new rehoming, behaviour and advice unit in the city, which will help all species, not just cats. It was an incredibly difficult decision to make but we believe it is the best one for the future of our charity enabling us to help more pets. The new facility will have specialist behaviourist support for owners experiencing difficulties with their pet, as well as experts available for people and their pets to provide help and advice. We want to reassure people that Blue Cross remains committed to helping the pets and people in Cambridge, a city we have been in for 90 years and one we want to be present in for 90 more. Unfortunately, as part of the proposals, despite working hard to avoid job losses, ten colleagues, who have been such valued members of the Blue Cross family, will be made redundant, one of whom chose this voluntarily. It is a sad day at Blue Cross to lose some of our wonderful people and they have our heartfelt thanks and our full support at this time. We fully understand the strength of feeling shown by some supporters over the proposal to close the Centre. We stress that throughout the closure period and beyond, all pets which need our services will continue to receive them. It is a decision taken with a heavy heart, and only comes after we explored and listened to all other proposals in several meetings with staff during consultation. We will be speaking with our wonderful volunteers at the Centre, and we hope they continue with their amazing support for our charity as we move forward. The plans in the area are part of a broader, UK-wide strategy to reshape and expand our services, putting Blue Cross on a more secure financial footing as we seek to save £1million this year, and helping us towards our vision that no pet or owner goes without help. These plans have been accelerated by the pandemic, which has not only required us to make significant changes to how we operate, but also the possibilities working in new ways can bring.”
Blue Cross Trustees
Blue Cross Trustees
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Petition created on 8 May 2021