- The Blue Cross
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For the short story, see The Blue Cross (short story). For other uses, see Blue Cross (disambiguation).
The Blue Cross 
Founded 1897 Location Burford, Oxfordshire, England Key people Kim Hamilton (CEO)[1][2] Area served United Kingdom Focus Animal veterinary treatment, rehoming and owner support Revenue £26.9 million[3] Volunteers 2,000[3] Employees 550[2] Motto Britain's Pet Charity Website http://www.bluecross.org.uk The Blue Cross is a registered animal welfare charity[4] in the United Kingdom, founded in 1897 as Our Dumb Friends League.[5] The charity provides support for pet owners who cannot afford private veterinary treatment, helps to find homes for unwanted animals, and educates the public in the responsibilities of animal ownership.
The charity works closely with a number of other organizations to promote animal welfare and responsible pet ownership.
Contents
History
1916 poster promoting the Blue Cross Fund
The organisation was founded on 10 May 1897 in London as Our Dumb Friends League, a "society for the encouragement of kindness to animals".[6] It opened its first animal hospital, in Victoria, London, on 15 May 1906.[6]
In 1912, the league started its "Blue Cross Fund" to assist animals affected by war. This fund went towards assisting animals affected by conflict including in the first and second world wars.[7] The name of the appeal fund became more widely known than the official charity title and the league and officially changed its name to "The Blue Cross" in 1950.[6]
Operations
The Blue Cross operates a number of services throughout the United Kingdom. Its first and still primary service is the provision of veterinary services to animal owners who cannot afford the fees charged by private veterinary surgeons. They operate four animal hospitals, three of which are in London, at Victoria, Merton and Hammersmith and a fourth in Grimsby, Lincolnshire[8] as well as operate mobile clinics throughout the country. The Blue Cross carried out over 97,000 treatments, operations and diagnostic investigations in 2010.[3]
An extension of the animal care operation is the operation of two horse ambulances, which operate at equestrian events to recover injured horses from the field of play.[9][10] This follows on from being the first organisation to operate a horse ambulance, which covered the streets of London from 1900, rescuing injured animals.[11]
The Blue Cross is also heavily involved in animal adoption, arranging adoption for companion animals such as cats, dogs, rabbits and small rodents, as well as larger species such as horses.[12] In 2010, the charity rehomed 6717 animals.[2]
The organisation also works to improve the lives of animals through promotion to pet owners and work in animal behaviour therapy. They also offer a pet bereavement councselling service for owners traumatised by the loss of an animal.[8]
Proposed Closure of two animal centres
On 26 January 2010, The Blue Cross announced the proposed closure of the two animal adoption centres (Felixstowe and Northiam (East Sussex)), both of which had been in existence for over 50 years. Final decisions on both sites were announced on 4 May 2010. The Felixstowe centre was saved after an extensive publicity campaign by locals.
Partnerships
The Blue Cross is affiliated with other organisations including the Society for Companion Animal Studies, the Irish Blue Cross and the Pet Fostering Service Scotland.[13] it also has arrangements with DogsBlog.com.[14]
References
- ^ "Kim Hamilton". The Blue Cross. http://www.bluecross.org.uk/89299/kim-hamilton.html.
- ^ a b c "The Boss: Kim Hamilton". Channel 4: Undercover Boss. 2011-07-12. http://www.channel4.com/programmes/undercover-boss/articles/the-boss-kim-hamilton.
- ^ a b c "Annual Review 2010". The Blue Cross. http://issuu.com/the_blue_cross/docs/bluecross_annual_review_2010?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true.
- ^ The Blue Cross, Registered Charity no. 224392 at the Charity Commission
- ^ "History of the Blue Cross". The Blue Cross. http://www.bluecross.org.uk/1992/about-the-blue-cross.html.
- ^ a b c "Blue Cross: 100 not out". Mature Times. 2006-08-01. http://www.maturetimes.co.uk/node/352. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
- ^ "Object Focus - Brow band horse badge". Museum of the Manchester Regiment. http://www.tameside.gov.uk/museumsgalleries/mom/objectfocus/browband.
- ^ a b "What we do". The Blue Cross. http://www.bluecross.org.uk/453/what-we-do.html.
- ^ Cross, Diane (2007-05-10). "New look for Blue Cross ambulances". Horse and Hound. http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/119220.html.
- ^ "Horse Ambulance Service". Blue Cross Kids. http://www.bxkids.org.uk/web/site/AboutUs/Equine/HorseAmbulanceServic.asp.
- ^ "Happy birthday to The Blue Cross". The Blue Cross. http://www.bluecross.org.uk/478-87107/happy-birthday-to-the-blue-cross-.html.
- ^ "Adopt an animal". The Blue Cross. http://www.bluecross.org.uk/1710/Adopt-an-animal.html.
- ^ "Our associates". The Blue Cross. http://www.bluecross.org.uk/81006/our-associates.html.
- ^ "Dog Adoption Website Passes £9m Mark as 4,000th Dog is Rehomed". K9 Magazine. 2009-02-16. http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/1928/dog-adoption-website-passes-9m-mark-as-4000th-dog-is-rehomed/. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
External links
Categories:- Animal charities based in the United Kingdom
- Organizations established in 1897
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