Battersea Dogs Home

Staffy campaign

You're gonna need another trolley...

Not many shopping lists include a pile of dog food that weighs the same as three double decker buses and enough cat litter to fill 1,262 baths. It takes a lot to keep Battersea running, and after using its two millionth poo bag this week, the charity has now revealed its whopping stock sheet.

Caring for nearly 9,000 animals each year is no mean feat, and this is highlighted by Wren, a two year old Staffie cross. In her 216 days at Battersea she’s gone through 31 tennis balls, 280kg of dog food and 625 dog treats. 

However it’s not just food and equipment that Wren and her four-legged friends use in abundance. In 2011 Battersea cared for 5,941 dogs, which inevitably generates a lot of poo. Wren is now marking a rather unusual milestone, as this week she used the Home’s two millionth poo bag. They were introduced at Battersea in 2005 and last year alone the dogs used 292,500 poo bags.

Lots of the food and poo bags are kindly donated by Pedigree, but Battersea receives no government funding towards the running of the Home and relies on the generosity of supporters and organisations.

To highlight just how much it takes to look after 9,000 hungry mouths, the charity has revealed its 2011 shopping list, which includes:

• 41,708 kg of dry dog food and 1304kg dry cat food (the dog food alone weighs the same as three double decker buses)
• 44,658 tins of dog food and 58,656 pouches of cat food (that’s more tins and pouches than there are people in Jersey)
• 101,020 litres of cat litter (enough to fill 1,262 baths)
• 3,000 dog leads (tied together, these would be over two miles long)
• 57,600 Schmacko dog treat sticks (enough for everyone in Greenland to have one)
• 24,864 Dentastix dog chews (it would take 68 years to eat these if you had one a day)
• 440 metres of Vetbed bedding (which would stretch across Chelsea Bridge twice)
• 800,000 litres of disinfectant (enough to fill three Olympic swimming pools)

All these items soon pile up, and it costs £37,000 to run Battersea each day, with the Home spending £14.65 per day on each cat, and £23.80 on every dog. This includes everything they need, such as food, veterinary treatment, bedding, equipment and care.

Battersea’s Operations Manager Lindsey Quinlan explains: “It takes a lot to keep Battersea running, which is highlighted by our huge shopping list. Making sure every dog and cat has a cosy bed, regular tasty meals, and the toys and equipment they need really adds up. However there’s no time limit on how long an animal can stay with us, and we want to ensure their stay is as comfortable as possible, so we believe every penny is well spent.”

Two tasty treats that always get used quickly are peanut butter and Marmite, which the dogs love smeared on toys and chews. While Kallo Foods kindly donated some Whole Earth Peanut Butter last year, supplies are already running low. Lindsey adds: “A jar of peanut butter or Marmite is enough to ensure 50 dogs get an afternoon treat, so it really goes a long way and we appreciate every donation.

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