Autumn Winter 2020 Oak Tree Animals' Charity Acorn News

Acorn News News, views and more from Oak Tree

Autumn/Winter 2020

About Us...

Working for our community; caring for animals; making a difference. Oak Tree has been helping animals for over 110 years.

Up to the end of August this year, with your support, we were able to help over 2176 animals and their owners in our region.

We are passionate about animal welfare and believe that every animal matters. We provide: • Guidance and practical support to pet owners • Education to support our local community • Loving homes for animals in need • Individual support for all the animals in our care

Homing Most animals require some sort of rehabilitation and veterinary attention on arrival.

Staff and volunteers treat every animal as an individual, tailoring a unique programme to best suit each animal’s needs while they are preparing for life in their forever home.

Our team also ensures prospective owners are equipped and ready to provide a comfortable and safe environment for their pet.

Our Community work includes: • Resolving animal hoarding cases • Working with our partners at the foodbank, social services, housing associations and other local organisations to help vulnerable pet owners who desperately need our help • Running community clinics to offer welfare advice and support to pet owners • Working with schools and community groups to educate the next generation of pet owners We don’t charge for our services, but everything we do incurs a cost – equating to over £2,100 a day Your support is vital to the charity.

Thank you.

www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk

Welcome We could never have predicted the challenges that animals, owners and, indeed, our Charity would face in 2020. The pandemic has changed the lives of many. Help and support within our community surged as people try to ensure that their pets are well cared for.

Many throughout the lockdown period have experienced the companionship and other benefits that pet ownership brings during the long periods of isolation.

However, this in turn, has led to a significant increase in demand for pets which brings its own challenges and demonstrates that we, as a Charity, are needed more than ever. Our dedicated team and amazing supporters rose to the challenge during the pandemic with a six-fold increase in our pet foodbank support, together with an increase in community support for care, neutering and veterinary services and in our A Helping Paw fostering programme for those who are homeless or fleeing

domestic violence. I cannot thank you enough for enabling us to make such a difference to so many.

Our work continues and we have new challenges to address on a daily basis. We are seeing an increase throughout the UK in dog breeding, pet prices and pet theft, and we anticipate that we will unfortunately see a rise in dog and cat relinquishment as people’s circumstances continue to be unstable.

I would like to take this opportunity to reassure you that we will continue to be here for animals and their owners in our region; responding to the needs of our community and ensuring that you, our invaluable and generous supporters, are able to continue to improve the lives of animals in need.

With all our thanks once again,

Caroline

GIZMO

JESS

At the start of June, we were contacted by a member of the public who needed our help in finding their animals a new home.

Unfortunately, due to a change in personal circumstances, they were no longer able to afford their care and, although it was a very tough decision to make, it was done with the animals’ best interest at heart.

The handover was very emotional as we took in four cats and two dogs from the family. We could see that they had been well loved and looked after. We assured the family that they would receive lots of fuss and attention at Oak Tree and we would be able to find new homes for them all.

Jess and Gizmo are the ultimate odd couple, their owners described Gizmo as Jess’s limpet and we certainly saw that when they came in; Gizmo liked to stay very close to his Amazonian Lurcher lady and she, in turn, made sure he was kept safe. They are now enjoying their new adventure together, little and large against the world!

WHERE ARE

TIGGER

FIGARO Tigger was the father of Figaro, Tiny and Thomas. It didn’t take long for Tiny and Thomas to find new homes but, after being checked by our vet, it was found that, of the four, Tigger and Figaro were FIV+.

FIV is similar to the HIV virus in humans; many FIV cats go on to live normal and full lives but, due to their weakened immune system and ability to spread the disease, we needed to find a home that could provide Tigger and Figaro with safe outdoor access. As we anticipated a longer than average search for a home, we placed them in foster care, so they were able to enjoy home comforts. In the end, they only had to wait one month before being rehomed and they are now absolutely loving life!

THEY NOW?

SHETLANDS REHOMED Applejack and Dinky arrived at the Charity at the beginning of March. The OTAC Equine Team soon discovered that they had not been handled much and would need to learn everything from scratch.

Luckily, the little Shetlands were quick learners and were soon ready to find new homes.

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Holly is continuing to work with Applejack and Dinky, developing their education with desensitising activities, and she hopes that they can one day be used as therapy ponies.

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Following a visit to the site in June, the Masters family thought the Shetlands would be perfect for their daughter, Holly. The whole family, but Holly in particular, showed great dedication in preparing for their new family members. This included on site visits to work with our staff and the ponies to learn all aspects of their care routines, and renovating their property to ensure the ponies would have the best environment to move into.

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COSMO

DAISY

Daisy and Cosmo

Izzy and Savannah arrived at Oak Tree on 10th March, along with five other ponies from a welfare case. Izzy was in foal with Cosmo and he was born on 19th April. Daisy arrived on 2nd May; due to lockdown we had been unable to scan her mum, Savannah, so her arrival was a wonderful bonus!

Daisy is a gorgeous girl; she is delicate, she is happy, she is extremely cute! Cosmo is just as adorable but with twice as much attitude! He is a big lad and has an even bigger personality. They play together in the field and can often be found snoozing side by side.

Izzy and Savannah are both fantastic mothers, raising and teaching their offspring. They like their time alone away from the foals but are still looking after them amazingly well when they need to. The foals are growing in height and personality every day and they are a pleasure to watch.

Cosmo and Daisy will be at Oak Tree for three years as they will need time to grow, develop and learn to be handled safely before being rehomed.

To support their development, why not consider joining our sponsorship programme?

Email fundraising@oaktreeanimals.org.uk for more information.

We Need You! We are currently recruiting volunteers to join our Facilities and Maintenance Team.

Are you a tradesperson?

Could you and your team volunteer for a few hours to help our animals?

Do you simply enjoy the great outdoors and have a few spare hours to spare?

To get involved or volunteer, simply visit our website.

www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk

GREAT NEWS! Our Carlisle shop has relocated to new premises!

We have secured larger premises, in Lowther Street. This fabulous space will provide a much roomier shopping area, full of amazing bargains, as well as space to socially distance. It will also have space for quarantining your generous donations, enabling us to process them whilst keeping our valued volunteers, customers and staff safe!

Our Keswick shop is also open again, with social distancing measures in place.

It is looking great, with bargains galore. We are operating a collection point service in Keswick for donations, as due to Government Guidelines and limited space, we are unable to process donations at the Keswick Shop itself. Please see posters in the shop or on our website for up-to-date information.

Thank you to everybody who donates items for our charity shops and could we ask that you please do not leave donations outside the premises.

Volunteers wanted:

Please get in touch if you’d like to join our amazing shop volunteer teams.

Opening Times: Keswick: Wednesday to Sunday, 10.00am – 4.00pm Carlisle: Tuesday to Saturday, 10.00am – 4.00pm

The Tearoom

OPEN DAILY 10AM - 4PM

HOMEMADE SWEET & SAVOURY TREATS AWAIT Our Renowned Scones Are Back!

Our Tearoom staff and volunteers are glad to be back at work providing delicious food for our muchmissed customers, site volunteers and staff on their return.

We are delighted by the response from our returning and new customers regarding our adherence to Government Guidelines for keeping everyone safe. “We have really missed visiting the Tearoom and are really pleased to be back” said a regular customer recently “...and we feel comfortable that it’s a safe space to enjoy our coffee and cake.”

We have reshuffled our indoor seating area to allow for social distancing, and have a large shelter outside for customers to enjoy fresh air and fabulous views.

We have regular specials, including paninis, soup for those cooler days, and our mouth-watering homemade quiche! Not forgetting of course, our fabulous scones, Victoria sponge, coffee cake, delicious brownies and flapjack.

These are all made on the premises by our wonderful staff.

DON’T FORGET, WE ARE A DOG FRIENDLY TEAROOM Maggie and her owner, Ella, enjoyed popping in to the Tearoom for some butternut squash soup and a slice of cake.

Say Hello to our NEW range of clothing!

Why not come and visit us at our main site in Wetheral and see how much we have in store. All our products are hand-picked to complement each season and support our animal awareness days.

Enjoy browsing for a lovely gift for family and friends, discover a wide range of artisan greeting cards and interior pieces for your home, and there are lots of items for children to enjoy too.

Of course, we would not forget our four legged friends. With our comprehensive selection of toys, treats and everyday items, their needs can be catered for too!

ADULTS T-SHIRTS.................................................£8.99 Sizes: Small 36”, Medium 40”, Large 44”, Extra Large 48” Colours: Royal Blue, Pale Blue, Hot Pink, Grey, Purple 100% cotton, wash at 40 degrees

HOODIES................................................ £22.99 Same sizes and colours as t-shirts 80% cotton and 20% polyester, wash at 30 degrees

COLOUR SWATCHES FOR BOTH ADULT T-SHIRTS AND HOODIES

Royal Blue

Pale Blue

Hot Pink

Grey

Purple

CHILDREN T-SHIRTS....................................................................£7.99 Size: Age 12-13 years 20” chest Colours: Royal Blue, Light Blue, Hot Pink, Pale Pink, Khaki, Orange

SWEATSHIRTS.........................£19.95 Adults Unisex - Raglan Sleeve.

Oak Tree Logo on the front Sizes: S 35”-37”, M 38”-40”, L 41”-43”, XL 44”-46”, 2XL 47”-49” Colours: Purple, Emerald, Dark Heather Grey 80% cotton, 20% polyester, wash at 40 degrees.

POLO SHIRT............................£13.50 Adults Unisex - Oak Tree logo on the back Sizes: XS 34”, S 36”, M 40”, L 44”, XL 48”, 2XL 52”, 3XL 56”.

Colours: Fuchsia, Burgundy, Purple, Charcoal 50% cotton and 50% polyester, wash at 60 degrees.

FULL ZIP HOODIE..................£24.75 Adults Unisex - Oak Tree logo on the back Sizes: S 34-36”, M 38-40”, L 42-44”, XL 46-48”, 2XL 50-52” Colours: Purple, Light Grey, Charcoal 75% combed cotton, 25% polyester fleece, wash warm inside out.

COTTON BAG............................£3.99 Shoulder Bag Size: 36x42cm, Handle length 33cm Colours: Red, Green, Blue, Pink 100% cotton, wash at 30 degrees

ORGANIC COTTON BAG..........£8.99 Use in hand or over the shoulder. Capacity 16L. Size: 32x35x12cm, Handle length 58cm Colours: Fuchsia, Kelly Green, Navy 100% organic cotton, wash at 30 degrees

PACKAWAY TOTE.....................£8.99 Ultra-light weight yet durable Water resistant fabric with a combined store pouch/internal pocket 38x41x8cm Hanging length 64cm Colours: Navy, Grey

BACK PACK..............................£4.50 100% polyester, wipe clean only 33x44cm Drawstring Colours: Red, Dark Navy, Royal Blue

TROLLEY COIN KEYRING...............£2.25 Handy keyring for shopping trolleys with Oak Tree logo

PIN BADGES...................................£2.00 With Oak Tree logo

CAR STICKERS..............................£1.00 BALLPOINT PENS.........................£1.00 With Oak Tree logo and address

METAL KEYRING TORCH...............£2.50 With Oak Tree logo Colours: Red, Blue, Black, Pink, Grey

CHRISTMAS CARDS............FROM £3.99 Packs of 10 cards Bella & Friends £4.49 Rock ‘N’ Roll Cats & Dogs £4.29 New! Christmas Cat £3.99 New! Golden Retriever in Snow £3.99

P&P is £3.50 for orders up to the value of £10.00 and £5.50 for all orders over £10.00.

We aim to deliver your items within 1-2 weeks, depending on availability of colours.

Gift Section Order Form...

Please complete this order form and return to: Autumn/Winter Gift Catalogue 2020 Oak Tree Farm, Wetheral Shields, Carlisle, CA4 8JA Item

How Many

Your Choice ie. Cat or colour etc.

Price £

Running Total £

P&P: Please add £3.50 for any orders up to the value Goods Total £ of £10.00 or £5.50 for all orders over £10.00.

Donation £

You can also order directly from our website at: www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk

P&P

£

Total

£

Your details - please complete in block letters. Title: Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Other First Name

Last Name

Address Postcode Telephone No.

Email

If you are paying using a credit/debit card using the form at the bottom of this page, please enter here the name on the card and the address the card is registered to - thank you.

If you are paying by cheque, please make payable to ‘Oak Tree Animals’ Charity’.

If you wish to pay by credit or debit card please complete this section: Please debit my debit/credit card with: £

Expiry Date

Long card number:

Security Code

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Start Date

(Above needed if Maestro Card)

T R A I N I N G This year, due to Covid-19, our Training Department had to take a break from offering their services; our 1:1 sessions, classes and workshops were all halted. There was a notable increase in demand for dogs during lockdown but little availability for training.

Luckily, as soon as it was deemed safe, our training was back up and running!

The Marvels class uses fun, games-based learning to teach and refresh your dog’s basic life skills. Training your dog from a new perspective, while using evidence-based teaching methods, makes life easier for you and your dog.

Our 1:1 sessions enable a more personal approach, creating individual plans to target specific issues over a training period of time.

DID YOU KNOW - dog socialisation is not only about meeting other dogs and people? Another big part of socialisation is your dog learning how to act when playing isn’t an option.

THANK

YO U !

Our amazing volunteer Ann raised £60 by walking 100,000 paces in 5 days (the equivalent of 50 miles!) we think she’s amazing ... thank you so much Ann! Thank you to everyone who shops through Amazon Smile and Easyfundraising, as both companies donate a percentage of the total amount spent, to Oak Tree.

Josephine, one of our resident cats, would like to thank everyone who donated for her special food.

A special thank you to the shoppers at Morrisons Supermarket in Carlisle for donating pet food which is shared between local food banks.

Also, a big thank you to Morrisons Supermarket for allowing us to bucketcollect outside their store, all within the current Government guidelines.

Leighanne Little Equestrian Services at Home, very kindly dropped off lots of amazing things for the horses, bought with money raised from a raffle she held. THANK YOU so much, we’re really grateful.

THANK YOU so much to everyone who made a contribution to our TwoPointSixChallenge(s). Due to your generosity, we raised more than £2,000 through sponsorship.

Thank you to the Crown Hotel, Wetheral who continue to support us by donating £1 for every dog meal/treat ordered, from their dog menu in The Walton Bar. As always, HUGE thanks to ALL our amazing volunteers who selflessly give up their time to support the work that Oak Tree does on site and in the community.

During lockdown, the staff were kept focused, and full of positivity, by the kind and thoughtful messages posted on Facebook and Virgin Money Giving. Thank you.

Last, but certainly not least, a heartfelt thank you to EVERYONE who has supported us through the very challenging last few months and are continuing to support us through these unpredictable times. Your support has been, and will continue to be, invaluable.

THANK YOU!

EDUCATION Friends of Oak Tree We have a brand new award for kids!

‘Friends of Oak Tree’ is a fun way to get your kids learning about pets and the wildlife around us.

You can take part from home or through school and it is suitable for children aged 5-12 years.

There are five levels to complete which get you thinking about how animals help us, why they might need rehoming, how we can help our local wildlife and how to create fun toys for your own pets. Anyone completing all five levels will receive a ‘Friends of Oak Tree’ award and be added to a priority list to receive pre-notification of Oak Tree kids’ events. All this for only £5!

To take part, simply head to the Oak Tree website and click on the Community: Education and Learning section. You will need a printer, but if you don’t have one, just let us know your postal address and add an extra £2.00 to cover our postage costs.

Ogres are invading Oak Tree Watch out! Ogres are invading Oak Tree Farm from 26th October-1st November for half term Halloween fun. Hunt round the farm, discover each ogre’s weakness and banish them back to their swamp in time to save the animals and staff of Oak Tree. We’re counting on you! £2 per ogre hunter, receive a treat at the end, no booking required.

New home, new adventure,

new challenge!

Burns Pet Nutrition is Oak Tree’s 2020 pet food sponsor (cat and dog food donated). Burns is made from all-natural ingredients that are easily digested. The diets are designed to meet your dog’s needs, but not exceed them and are suitable for all ages and can consider each dog’s individual needs.

Your new forever dog is moving into their new home and it is your dream to make this a happy, healthy experience for your furry friend. To help make this a reality, our Burns Pet Nutrition nutritional advisors have put together these useful tips for you.

We suggest keeping your newest family member on the same food initially when moving from a rescue centre to a new home. This will help them to transition between environments easier. Coming from a rescue can be stressful and changing food suddenly can cause digestive upset.

If you are looking to change your dog’s diet, there are many important factors to consider. One particularly important aspect is to weigh up if your dog needs to maintain, gain or lose weight – you need to understand body condition to consider this.

Assessing body condition: Underweight – Bones (ribs, spine & hips) protruding and can be easily seen in a short-coated dog.

No body fat visible and waist very obvious. This would require a diet that is highly digestible and higher in calories and fat. Increasing food to put weight on can place unnecessary strain on the digestive system.

Ideal - Bones (ribs, spine & hips) should be easily felt. In a shortcoated dog, the last couple of ribs may be visible when twisting and turning during normal play and exercise. This would require a diet that is balanced and complete and takes into consideration the nutritional needs of the individual.

Overweight - Difficult to feel the ribs. Fat deposits visible over the body including the belly and base of the tail. A highly digestible lowfat diet will be needed alongside other lifestyle adjustments such as a gradual increase in exercise and reduction in treats.

We hope this helps but many also need to get further help and advice on this, so feel free to call our free Nutrition Helpline on 0800 083 6686, or email us at info@burnspet.co.uk. You can also hop on the Burns live web chat at burnspet.co.uk.

ONLINE EVENTS We miss seeing you all at our usual fairs and events. However, we have exciting plans for the upcoming few months and it would be great to meet you either in our online events or at our Covid-safe activities on site!

Oak Tree Weekly Virtual Quiz

Every Thursday at 8pm sharp, £3 per quiz

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Pit your knowledge against the clock and your unseen opponents for 20 mins of competitive fun! End up in the top three and you win a cash prize! The more people taking part, the bigger the prize fund, and the more Oak Tree will raise for animals in need. Find out how to sign up and play on our website’s Events page.

NEW… Start your own quiz group to support Oak Tree!

You want to take part with family and friends for Oak Tree, but Thursday is not a good time?

Not a problem! We will set up a quiz on a day and time to suit you. Whether it is for a oneoff fundraiser, a weekly competition with friends, or as part of a monthly family online get together, everything is possible. Email events@oaktreeanimals.org.uk and get quizzing for Oak Tree!

26th – 31st October Halloweek

Come to our site for some spooktastic, half term fun! Rumour has it that ogres are planning to invade Oak Tree! Keep an eye on our Facebook page and website for the latest information about Halloweek activities. Be ready to be pleasantly scared.

Instead of our traditional Christmas Fair, we will have a series of exciting and challenging events in the run up to Christmas:

27th November – 10th January 2021 Take part in our Sponsored Dog Walk (details on opposite page)

18th December Santa Paws in Gretna Gateway An opportunity for you and your canine companions to visit Santa in his grotto. Details and times TBC.

27th March 2021 April Easter Fair with Classic Car Show

Something to look forward to next year! Keep an eye on our website www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk for further details.

ONLINE EVENTS #BUBBLEWOOFWALK Sponsored Dog Walk

This year, with the coronavirus restrictions, all our on-site and community events had to be cancelled. With the animals in our care still relying on funds coming in, we have now organised an exciting Oak Tree-style sponsored dog walk, enabling all our loyal and new supporters to help us fundraise in a safe, fun and very dog-friendly way!

 Sign up for £15 per BUBBLE (maximum 6 people, minimum 1 dog)  Do your #BubbleWoofWalk between 27th November and 10th January, where and when you want

 Raise sponsorship by walking 5 miles for Oak Tree Animals’ Charity, in one go or in several shorter ones

 Every Bubble receives an exciting Sponsorship Pack, with a #BubbleWoofWalk

badge for every person, and a bandana and other gifts, kindly donated by Oak Tree’s animal food sponsor Burns Pet Nutrition for every dog! There are additional incentives for special sponsorship milestones.

For all details, please visit the events page on our website.

LOOK OUT FOR ALL UPCOMING VIRTUAL EVENTS INCLUDING REGULAR ONLINE RAFFLES AND OTHER ACTIVITIES AND COMPETITIONS OUR CHRISTMAS GRAND DRAW TICKETS ARE NOW FOR SALE AND CAN BE BOUGHT ONLINE VIA OUR WEBSITE, OR GET HOLD OF A BOOK OR TWO FROM OUR SHOPS OR MAIN SITE Draw to take place on Tuesday 22nd December – great prizes up for grabs!

(Please ensure all ticket stubs are returned to Oak Tree no later than Monday 14th Dec’)

NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

Top prizes kindly donated by:

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We are always extremely grateful for the loyalty and generosity demonstrated by our supporters. Our office was operating with skeleton staff throughout the crisis and it has not been possible to personally acknowledge every single act of kindness shown to us during this time.

Whether you have donated via text, Facebook, our website or Virgin Money Giving, handed in bags of coins, sent in cheques, taken on a fundraiser or donated food and treats, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity shown.

We have also been very encouraged by the response to emergency help from Grant Funders – thank you so much to them too.

Please keep responding to our requests for financial support when you can – we can’t emphasise enough what a difference your continued contributions make. The accounts of happy endings for animals recorded in our newsletter and social media, and the range of work we are involved in, would simply not be possible without you.

Visit our ‘Get Involved’ and ‘Events’ sections on the website to see the variety of ways you can continue helping animals and owners desperately in need.

If you would like to make a donation today, please either skip to the back page, or donate via our website, Facebook, or over the telephone.

The team and animals THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts.

Together, we are achieving amazing things.

A HELPING PAW In February 2020 we were contacted by Carlisle Key. One of their service users had to leave the county due to domestic abuse and had a very young cat, Phoebe, who required urgent foster care.

We immediately collected Phoebe and she was taken to a foster carer who looked after her for four months. This allowed Phoebe’s owner to get to safety and set up a new life for herself.

Photographs were sent to the owner every week to ensure she could keep up to date with Phoebe’s progress and feel as in touch as possible in the difficult circumstances.

Once Phoebe’s owner was settled into her new home, she travelled 130 miles by train to be reunited with her lovely pet. They are now both safe and happy together.

Many of the domestic abuse cases we deal with involve the abused leaving their homes and, in some cases, their home towns and family.

We are, sadly, expecting to see an increase in domestic abuse cases requiring our support as Covid-19 restrictions are relaxed and people are able to access help.

If you know someone who is a victim of domestic abuse or is homeless and needs help with their pet, please contact our team on 01228 560082, alternatively, email community@oaktreeanimals.org.uk for further information.

Note: Due to the sensitive nature of this case we have changed the name of the cat

ANIMAL REHOMING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC During lockdown, UK animal charities saw a huge rise in the number of people seeking a new pet. Correspondingly, the number of animals coming in to find new homes was significantly reduced. For the animals that did come in, this was great news as they were quickly able to find loving new homes.

The Kennel Club highlighted in May that the demand for puppies via the “puppy portal” increased by 140% with some breeders having waiting lists of 400 people for a puppy! At Oak Tree we were also getting a huge number of requests by phone, email and social media from people looking for animals.

Pet ownership is a wonderful thing; the companionship and strength of the human-animal bond has many benefits for both pet and owner, both mental and physical. However, there has been a darker side to this increased demand for pets – prices for puppies have skyrocketed, with Dachshunds leading the way with an average 89% price hike (£1,838 in June compared to £973 in March); puppy smuggling continues and this market demand has fuelled

irresponsible breeding through puppy farms. We would encourage everyone looking for a new pet to visit their local animal charity and, if looking for a puppy, to do their research prior to getting a new pet.

We are concerned that as people return to work and financial situations change, we will see an increase in the number of animals relinquished or abandoned as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic (Dogs’ Trust estimates this as being up to 40,000 dogs in the UK). We have already been asked to help in several cases where imported rescue dogs have been rehomed in the UK with no rescue back-up, leaving new owners and dogs in extremely difficult, and dangerous, situations.

This is likely to present significant challenges to both the community and rehoming teams at Oak Tree, however, with your support, we remain committed to ensuring that we are able to help as many animals and owners as possible in our region.

Thank you for helping us rise to these new, unprecedented situations through your generosity and support.

Y T I N U S L E C OM M C R A P D O O PET F The whole Oak Tree Team has been working around the clock so that vulnerable pet owners are able to feed their pets during these unprecedented times. We have made new partnerships with a number of local organisations such as North Lakes Foodbanks, Brampton Pantry, Carlisle Covid-19 community support groups, to name a few.

Since lockdown began in March, we have so far helped 1,010 dogs and cats through dog food pet parcels. Sadly, we expect this number to continue to grow as the financial crisis continues.

This work is only possible through the support we receive as a Charity, and through the partnerships we have created with local organisations and groups.

Brampton Pantry said “The difference your pet food is making to people’s lives is huge. If they were given a choice of either using the foodbank or receiving help feeding their pets, most would feed their pets first. We make sure they feed themselves too, but it’s huge to have this help in a place like Brampton.”

If you know someone struggling and believe that they would benefit from this scheme, get in contact with one of our community partners.

A full list is available from community@oaktreeanimals.org.uk.

Ensuring your love of animals counts ...now and forever Supporters of Oak Tree Animals’ Charity have been helping animals since 1909. The continued work of the Charity has been largely possible due to gifts generously left in Wills.

All donations, regardless of size, provide a lifeline to the animals at Oak Tree. More than half of the work carried out at Oak Tree is paid for by legacy gifts.

Legacies allow us to continue providing support to hundreds of animals and owners in need.

You will find more information on our website, including details about the different types of gift you might wish to consider leaving. To request a legacy information pack, or to discuss the possibility of leaving Oak Tree a gift in your Will, please email legacy@oaktreeanimals.org.uk or telephone 01228 560082.

Every single legacy we receive is of incredible value to the Charity, irrespective of the amount.

Please consider leaving a gift in your Will today.

To help make a difference to the lives of hundreds of animals, please complete the form below and return it to us at the address shown on the back of this newsletter. Thank you.

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Communications include: … a colourful e-update monthly summary of news and ways you can support us (email opt ins only) … a biannual newsletter. … very occasionally we ask for a little extra help on behalf of the animals of OTAC but you are under absolutely no obligation to respond!

Communications include: a colourful e-update monthly summary of news and ways you can support Signed: us (email opt ins ____________________________________________________________________ only)...a biannual newsletter...Very occasionally we Date: ask for_________________________________________ a little extra help on behalf We never want tobut bombard you!

If you feel you’re hearing too much from us, or want to OPT OUT please of the animals of OTAC you are under absolutely no obligation to respond contact us and we’ll alter your preferences - call 01228 560082 or email info@oaktreeanimals.org.uk

Privacy Statement Signed: Date: Oak Tree Animals’ Charity takes your data protection very seriously. To ensure the privacy of our contacts is highly protected, we keep our supporters’ details secure. We follow the recommended Fundraising Regulatory guidelines and we never sell data. This data will be kept to support your contact preferences.

For information about our privacy policy, please visit www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk

We never want to bombard you! If you feel you’re hearing too much from us, or want to OPT OUT please contact us and we’ll alter your preferences - call 01228 560082 or email info@oaktreeanimals.org.uk Privacy Statement Oak Tree Animals’ Charity takes your data protection very seriously. To ensure the privacy of our contacts is highly protected, we keep our supporters’ details secure. We follow the recommended Fundraising Regulatory guidelines and we never sell data. This data will be kept to support your contact preferences. For information about our privacy policy, please visit www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk.

THANK YOU ca n ac hi eve am az in g th in gs To ge th er we

Oak Tree Animals’ Charity, Oak Tree Farm, Wetheral Shields, Carlisle, CA4 8JA We are now open 7 days a week 10.00am – 4.00pm

Telephone: 01228 560082 Email: info@oaktreeanimals.org.uk Website: www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk General Manager: Caroline Johnson Fundraising and Communications Manager: Sarah Batty Oak Tree Animals’ Charity is a Registered Charity – Number 1169511 / SC048389.

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