2016 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF RSPCA WEST DORSET BRANCH

(also known as RSPCA WEST DORSET AND AXMINSTER BRANCH)

Charity number 248616

CONTACT DETAILS Contact Address: PO Box 5460, Weymouth, Dorset, DT3 6WH Website: www.westdorsetrspca.org Email: mail@westdorsetrspca.org The Branch owns and runs Taylor’s Re-homing Centre. Address: Higher Dairy, Kingston Maurward College, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 8PY Email: taylors@westdorsetrspca.org TRUSTEES / BRANCH OFFICIALS Chairman: Geoff Matthews Treasurer: Sue Simmonds Secretary: Susan Stow (Website manager / Membership secretary) Other Trustees: Julie Burgess - Home Visiting Collette Weston – Fundraising and Fostering Paul Weston – Fundraising, Health and Safety, Fostering, Taylors Rehoming Centre Line manager Carol Canfield Evans – Shops Line Manager Cathy Briggs – Social media and Fundraising Jill and George Kirkby resigned as Trustees on 10 October 2016 Graham Burridge resigned as Trustee on 19 October 2016 MEMBERSHIP If you know anyone who would be interested in joining the RSPCA please contact us for a membership form. If you would like to support Taylor’s Rehoming Centre, please consider becoming a ‘Friend Of Taylors’ – you will find a membership form later in this Annual Report. OTHER RELEVANT CONTACTS RSPCA National Society: Wilberforce Way, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 9RS Cruelty line: 0300 1234 999 Advice line: 0300 1234 555 Website: www.rspca.org.uk RSPCA South West Regional Headquarters: Blackhat Lane, Bakers Hill, Exeter, EX2 9TA ADVISORS Bankers: Lloyds, 92 St Mary Street, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 8PA Independent examiner: IM Carrington MA FCA, Edwards and Keeping, Chartered Accountants,

Unity Chambers, 34 High East Street, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1HA

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

This year sees the tenth anniversary of the Animal Welfare Act 2007. From the RSPCA point of view one of the most valuable aspects is that it has, as hoped, given some measure of legal support to the help and advice given to owners and animal keepers daily by our Inspectors, enabling them to intervene sooner to prevent cruelty, with prosecutions reserved for the most serious cases. The other buzz-word at the moment is, of course, Brexit. Whilst unlikely to directly affect The RSPCA's work, as our animal protection laws and the Society are already at the forefront of animal welfare, we can't escape the uncertain economic situation caused by the process, or currently, the mere thought of it! During these challenging times it is more important than ever that we must never lose sight of the reasons why we are doing this job. Put at its simplest, we feel that kindness, not cruelty, is the only way to behave towards the creatures which share our world. It doesn't matter if you are an employee of the National Society or the Branch; if you are a Branch Trustee or a volunteer, home checker or helper at Taylor's, or in the shops, or are behind a stall at one of our fundraising events. We all share the same aims and together are the RSPCA West Dorset Branch which does so much to further the cause of Animal Welfare in our area.

Geoff Matthews

Branch Chairman

20 YEARS OF RSPCA WEST DORSET BRANCH

When I first became a trustee of the branch, back in 1997, things were rather different than they are now. The branch had been rehoming animals for over 20 years but there was no dedicated animal rehoming centre. The branch paid for cats and dogs to be kept in private boarding facilities, or with carefully chosen fosterers, whilst new homes were found for them. It was a dream of the trustees to raise enough money to build our own centre, and thanks to the generous legacy of Mary Taylor, this finally happened in 2004. Since 1997, the branch has rehomed 3,252 cats, 102 dogs and 2,450 small animals. That’s a grand total of 5,804 animals in just 20 years, and that doesn’t include the hundreds of battery hens we have also found new homes for, giving them a second chance at life after spending their first years in cruel incarceration. I have been very privileged to be able to play a part in the growth of the branch, from small beginnings to a successful enterprise with four charity shops and an animal centre with a strict non-eunthase policy for healthy animals. It has also been wonderful to be a part of the wider RSPCA family. We should be proud to be a part of an organisation that prosecutes animal abusers and takes a firm stand against the wickedness of blood sports and badger culling. Being a trustee of RSPCA West Dorset branch has been incredibly rewarding and I would encourage anyone who would like to be involved to get in touch - new trustees with all kinds of skills are always welcome. Over the years I have been honoured to work with so many dedicated individuals all of whom have put animals first and have worked together to achieve so much for local animals. Looking the future, the hope is that sufficient funding can be raised in order to relocate the rehoming centre to a site where the branch can expand and also provide rehoming facilities for dogs and accomodation for wildlife. This will require a lot of additional fundraising and support, but ultimately it is the very best way to ensure a future for the thousands of animals whose futures lie entirely within our hands.

Susan Stow

Branch Secretary

YOUR LOCAL RSPCA CHARITY SHOPS

Bridport 29 West Street

Bridport Dorset

01308 421683

Dorchester 31 Princes Street

Dorchester Dorset

(Near Argos) 01305 265777

Axminster 1 West Street

Axminster Devon

EX13 5NX 01297 631022

Sherborne 52a Cheap Street

Sherborne Dorset

DT9 3BJ 01935 814608

All of our shops are in need of volunteers, if you are interested in helping out please pop in or give the shops a call. We always welcome donations of good quality clothing, books, CDs, bric a brac and other saleable items. As well as donated goods, we also sell a wide range of high-quality new items, including ranges from Ulster Weavers and Faith in Nature. Our shops are our most important fundraising resource – please do support them and help us to help local animals. _____________________________________________________________________________

All animals featured in this report were re-homed through Taylor’s Rehoming Centre. Many thanks to Cara Watts for the lovely photos.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Sharpie, our friendly receptionist at Taylors

TREASURER’S REVIEW OF 2016 Fundraising All our shops have secured profits this year and brought in total sales of £207,181 (2015:- £202,049) and net profits of £41,864 (2015:- £58,699). Our shop in Bridport has performed exceptionally well and has brought in a net profit of £23,368. Our newest shop in Sherborne has performed better than last year and turned in a net profit of £5,743. Our other two shops in Axminster and Dorchester continue to do well achieving net profits of £6,699 and £6,054. The Branch wishes to thank all the staff and volunteers for their continued hard work. Taylor’s Rehoming Centre attracted donations and contributions of £15,640 (2015:- £13,879) and trading income of £15,068 (2015:- £9,149). The Friends of Taylor’s made regular donations amounting to £4,117. Other donations and fund raising received by the Branch totalled £37,260 (2015:- £38,218). Our investments have done very well this year and brought in income of £13,164 (2015:- £11,795). Legacies and funeral donations of £157,968 were received in the year. The Branch wishes to thank the thoughtfulness of supporters and their families at such a sad time for the donations as they continue to be of assistance in helping local animals in our care. Our fundraising events such as Taylor’s Open Day, our presence at the Dorset County Show and the fundraising in Sherborne, Axminster, Lyme Regis, Charmouth, and Bridport all help bring in the much needed monies to run the West Dorset Branch. This is our fourth year at the County Show – unfortunately due to the weather we had to abandon our tent on the Sunday. Our presence there helps to raise our profile within the Dorset Area. The Branch would like to say a huge thank you to the trustees, Tess and all her staff at the rehoming centre, Jill and George Kirkby in Sherborne and their supporters, Carol Pickering in Axminster, Lyme Regis and Charmouth and her supporters, and to Graham Burridge and the volunteers in Bridport for all their hard work in organising and running the events to raise money for the animals. Performance The income from fundraising, legacies and other donations is used to meet the four main charitable objectives of the Branch set with regards to public benefit. The main charitable objective is addressed by taking into care and rehoming unwanted and stray pets. This is achieved through Taylor’s Rehoming Centre in Dorchester but also extends to providing financial support with neutering, vaccination and micro-chipping. Taylor’s total running costs including depreciation were £170,180. The second charitable objective is addressed by providing welfare assistance with veterinary treatment. Cost met this year amounted to £7,065. I would like to thank all our local vets and their staff who give their full support to Taylor’s and assist with our welfare work by dealing with much of the administration of the scheme, providing advice and giving much appreciated discounts. The remaining charitable objective is to support local wildlife sanctuaries and contribute to regional schemes to help animals.

Re-homing: Numbers of animals re-homed by Taylor’s

CATS RABBITS HENS OTHER

2014 190 36 172 308

2015 156 51 278 209

2016 194 26 255 139

Welfare : Veterinary procedures financially assisted by the Branch

CATS DOGS OTHER

MEDICAL NEUTERING MEDICAL NEUTERING MEDICAL NEUTERING

2014 29 46 24 8 2 0

2015 17 28 10 6 2 1

2016 20 46 23 10 2 0

Looking to the future The Branch has fared better this year with income. The shops are bringing in a better return and we have been able to fully staff our re-homing centre. However our operating costs have increased again as has the welfare costs for the animals. We as trustees are committed to meeting our charitable objectives and continue to receive help from Branch Supporters through donated time and fundraising events. We are in a better position with funds for 2017 but will still have to be careful in how the money is spent.

Financial Review and our Financial Reserves Policy The Branch received income from donations and legacies totalling £224,420 during the year compared with £79,904 in 2015. Income from other trading activities totalled £224,108 (2015:-£212,571) and investment income was £13,164 (2015:-£11,795). Total income for the year rose to £461,692, compared with £304,998 in 2015, mainly due to additional legacy income. Total expenditure increased to £364,344 (2015:-£309,249) following increases in wages, costs of goods sold, shop running costs and food and litter costs. After accounting for investment gains of £19,086 (2015:-losses of £1,244), the net income for the year was £116,434. The financial position at 31 December 2016 is strong with working capital of £150,099 and readily marketable investments of £402,865; total funds standing at £729,800. Free reserves of £460,882 are available to the Branch, equivalent to just over fifteen months’ current expenditure. The Branch aims to ensure that reserves at any one time would cover twelve months predicted expenditure. This is to protect the Branch from fluctuations in income in order that levels of service provided for the welfare of local animals may be maintained in the event of a reduction in income. Reserves, in this context, means unrestricted funds that are freely available for the Branch’s general purposes after all commitments have been met and excludes fixed assets. If reserves substantially exceed eighteen months’ predicted expenditure at any one time, the trustees will seek to increase and expand the animal welfare activity of the Branch. In recent years a large part of the Branch income has been legacy related and whilst the trustees do all they can to encourage legacies to the Branch, by its very nature legacy income cannot be predicted. In addition to free reserves the Branch also holds additional restricted funds totalling £196,057 at 31 December 2016.These funds have been donated for a specific purpose, Taylor's Rehoming Centre, and cannot be used for anything other than the purpose for which they were donated.

INCOME 2016 - £461,692 EXPENDITURE 2016 - £364,344

Sue Simmonds Treasurer, RSPCA West Dorset Branch

A full copy of the audited accounts is available to download from our website

RSPCA WEST DORSET BRANCH EXPLAINING

WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO Our charitable objectives We promote the work and objects of the national RSPCA, being to prevent cruelty, promote kindness, and to alleviate the suffering of animals, in the West Dorset and Axminster (Devon) area. Our charitable activities We take in to care and rehome unwanted and stray pets through “Taylors Rehoming Centre”. We assist pet owners in the Branch area who are on low incomes with payment for veterinary treatment. We support local wildlife sanctuaries, which saves the animals from long journeys to RSPCA wildlife centres. We contribute to south-west regional RSPCA schemes, which helps animals in our local branch area. How we are organised (structure, governance and management) The charity is a branch of the South West Regional and National RSPCA and was registered on 13 July 1966 (number 248616). It is governed by the RSPCA Branch model rules and subject to the overall supervision of the RSPCA, but otherwise manages its own affairs and finances independently. The charity is run by the branch committee whose members are the charity’s trustees. The Committee is elected by branch members at the AGM (7 to 14 trustees), or may be co-opted by the existing committee if they have particular skills required (up to 3 trustees may be co-opted). A declaration of willingness to act must be completed before being eligible to vote at meetings. Induction and training are covered by the provision of information packs and booklets from the National Society and the Charity Commission, as well as guidance and training from existing committee members. There are three lead officer posts, Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary, and additionally nominated trustees take a lead responsibility for such things as line management of the re-homing centre, shops and website management. Trustees receive support and advice from the Branch Support Specialist (from the South West Regional RSPCA) who attends branch committee meetings and is always on hand to offer guidance. Additionally, one trustee is elected to the South West Regional Board, which meets on a regular basis to agree and assess campaigns, networking and home visiting schemes, and receives information on Inspectorate issues. There are also opportunities for trustees to visit the National HQ at Horsham, which provides valuable insight into the national and international work carried out. Areas include work with wildlife, scientific research, special operations and fundraising. The trustees are legally required to draw up and implement a Risk Management Strategy. Once it is in operation daily implementation can be delegated, but the final responsibility lies with the trustees, who are liable for any infringement. Our Risk Management Strategy has been put in writing and made available to our Auditors and the Charity Commission.

Objects and public benefit statement 1. The RSPCA West Dorset Branch is an unincorporated charitable association and a separately

registered branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (the Society), carrying out its direct animal welfare work in the area of West Dorset (and Axminster).

2. The objects of the Branch are to promote the work and objects of the Society - to promote kindness

and to prevent or suppress cruelty to animals by all lawful means - with particular reference to the area of the Branch, in accordance with the policies of the Society.

3. The trustees have reviewed the outcomes and achievements of our objectives and activities for the

year, to ensure they remain focused on our charitable aims and continue to deliver benefits to the public. We have complied with the duty under the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Commission.

Advancement of animal welfare 4. Under the Charities Act 2006, the advancement of animal welfare is recognised as a distinct

statutory charitable purpose. This legislation and the Animal Welfare Act of the same year indicate an acceptance by society that treating living creatures with compassion has a moral benefit for the public as a whole. Whilst this public benefit is clear, it is sometimes difficult to quantify and must be balanced against any detriment.

5. The Branch’s animal welfare work, although local in nature, benefits society at large, and also aims

to help people in need with the care of their animals. The next section of this report highlights the Branch’s main activities and demonstrates the benefit provided to the public (in italics). All our charitable activities, as described in more detail in the following pages of this report, focus on promoting kindness and preventing or suppressing cruelty to animals and are undertaken to further these purposes for the public benefit.

Charitable activities pursued for the public benefit 6. We support our local Inspectors by taking in, free of charge, mistreated or abandoned animals,

including pets whose owners suffer ill health or financial difficulties or pass away. The Society’s Inspectorate (as well as providing education, information and advice) rescues animals in distress and enforces laws against the cruel mistreatment of animals in England and Wales by bringing prosecutions. This work is key to ‘the prevention or suppression of cruelty’ part of the RSPCA objects and promotes humane sentiments towards animals which involves moral benefit to humankind as a whole.

7. We provide subsidised veterinary treatment for animals which are sick or injured and belong to local people on low incomes. We do this through our Welfare scheme. This work benefits those on means-tested benefits by giving them financial help to obtain care for companion animals in need of veterinary treatment.

8. We provide subsidised neutering and microchipping of companion animals for those in the Branch

area on low incomes. We do this through our Welfare scheme. This work helps to control dog/cat populations through neutering and benefits those on means-tested benefits by giving them financial help to neuter and microchip companion animals, thereby promoting responsible pet ownership.

9. Animals in our care receive veterinary treatment, vaccination, neutering, micro-chipping and are

assessed for rehoming. This work helps to control the incidence and spread of disease and suffering through vaccination and neutering.

10. We rehome animals in need at a low cost to people willing and able to have a companion animal.

Whilst we recognise that companion animals provide measurable benefits to people’s physical and mental health, we consider the provision of pets as subsidiary to the main charitable aim of this service, which is to reduce animal suffering. Our policy to charge a reasonable adoption fee for animals aims to highlight the ongoing personal and financial commitment to pet ownership. It would not be in the best interests of animals, and therefore would fall outside our objectives, to rehome to those who could not afford them.

11. We take in, free of charge, lost animals and take steps to reunite them with owners. This work

benefits our local community (including local authorities) by preventing animals straying and posing a risk to themselves and to people through road traffic accidents.

12. We respond to enquiries (both direct and via the Society’s national call centre) from the public about

animals locally. The public benefits from knowing that we can intervene to assist animals in need. 13. We offer free animal care advice at our rehoming centre. The public benefits through the promotion

of responsible pet ownership. 14. Within the terms of our governing document, we support the National Society, other RSPCA

branches and local wildlife sanctuaries which provide local places of shelter, saving the animals from long journeys to RSPCA wildlife sanctuaries.

15. We provide volunteering opportunities for those who wish to support our work, including trusteeship,

fostering and fundraising. This benefits local people and companies by providing the possibility of doing work which is compassionate and rewarding.

OUR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES FOR 2017

Aims and Objectives:

To increase fundraising revenue and manage expenditure.

To promote and maintain our charity shops in Dorchester, Bridport, Sherborne and Axminster, to increase the number of volunteers, and to increase the funds raised.

To build on the success of Taylor’s by increasing the numbers of animals re-homed.

To consider and plan the future of our rehoming facilities.

Strategies:

To take full advantage of all fundraising and promotional opportunities.

To hold an “Open Day” at Taylor’s.

To increase fundraising efforts throughout the Branch area by holding a variety of events.

To seek to encourage legacies to the Branch.

To maximize publicity and public awareness of the work of the Branch.

LEGACIES – OUR LIFELINE

In the past, the RSPCA West Dorset Branch has been deeply indebted to those supporters who have been kind enough to remember the Branch in their wills. It was thanks to the generosity of two ladies who made bequests to the Branch in their wills that the 'Taylor's Rehoming Centre' project was able to go ahead, and we have since received additional generous legacies which have enabled us to continue helping animals in need. It is a tribute to their love for animals that in the years to come we will be able to help many hundreds of creatures find loving new homes. Please remember that if you wish the money to be spent helping animals in the West Dorset area, or at 'Taylor's', your will must be specifically worded to mention the West Dorset Branch. Any member wishing to leave a legacy to the RSPCA West Dorset Branch may find the following wording useful:

“I give the sum of £_________ to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals West Dorset Branch (Registered Charity No. 248616) and I declare that the receipt of the Honorary Treasurer or other proper officer for the time being of the said Branch shall be sufficient discharge for the said legacy.”

If you already have a will, your solicitor can add to it a section (a codicil) based on the above words

FUNDRAISING DATES FOR 2017

May 20th May Fayre, Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne, 10am - Noon Aug 13th Open Day at Taylors Rehoming Centre Nov 4th Christmas Bazaar, Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne, 10am – Noon

RSPCA TAYLOR’S MANAGER’S REPORT

We at Taylor’s have had another busy year, but with the continued support, hard work and dedication from the staff, committee and volunteers it has been another successful one. We have had in all sorts of animals as always, from buzzards to bats. Some we only care for until an Inspector can collect them, and others such as “The Presidents” we care for a lot longer. “The Presidents” were a group of kittens found by an animal collection officer, they were found after being abandoned by their feral mum as the shed that they had been born in had been demolished. They were taken in by Cara at home - they were cold, wet and hungry. Cara provided around the clock care and food for them. They were lots of hard work but a great reward for the staff and volunteers involed in their care. They have been rehomed and it is lovely to see them settled in their new forever home. In November we also helped an inspector with a hoarder, who had over 30 rabbits. They were all in a very poor state, underweight and living in cramped conditions. We fostered out some to staff and some to volunteers - some were too sick to pull through. Several were also pregnant, so we had more than we first expected. Here are some photos of a litter of rabbits born just before Christmas. They are now looking for their new loving homes. We also welcomed in a cat that we have called Maddox, he had been suffering with fleas. His coat was in very poor condition, and his skin was also sore. The photos here are before and after, which took 3 months. He is now looking for his new home. I continue to feel very privileged to be manager of the centre and to help care for the animals in it. We are very lucky to have such a dedicated, loyal and hardworking group of staff and volunteers, without which the animals would not be nursed back to health and rehomed. Let’s hope for a happy and healthy 2017 for all the staff and animals at Taylors.

Tessa Every

RSPCA Taylors Rehoming Centre Manager

YOU CAN BECOME A ‘FRIEND’ OF RSPCA TAYLOR’S REHOMING CENTRE

You can become a ‘Friend of Taylor’s’ for a minimum donation of £8 per year (£6 for under 16s / over 60s). You will receive a welcome pack, badge, membership card, newsletters and the chance to join our Centre staff for special ‘Friends Tours’. Your donation will go exclusively towards the day to day funding of the Centre. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I wish to become a ‘Friend of Taylor’s Rehoming Centre’ I enclose a donation of £_______

£10 adult member £8 if under 16 £8 over 60

£15 joint adult membership £20 for a family of up to 5 members for one year’s membership

£100 one off payment if you wish to become a ‘Friend for Life’

£250 one off payment if you wish to become a ‘Life Patron of Taylors’

£500 one off payment to become a ‘Life Patron of RSPCA West Dorset Branch’

NAME

ADDRESS TELEPHONE DATE Please make cheques payable to RSPCA West Dorset Branch. PLEASE CUT OUT THIS FORM AND RETURN TO:- ‘FRIENDS OF TAYLOR’S REHOMING CENTRE’, RSPCA WEST DORSET BRANCH, PO BOX 5460, WEYMOUTH, DORSET, DT3 6WH.

GIFT AID DECLARATION Boost your donation by 25p of Gift Aid for every £1 you donate

Gift Aid is reclaimed by the charity from the tax you pay for the current tax year. Your address is needed to identify you as a current UK taxpayer.

I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on my donation in that tax year it is my responsibility to

pay any difference. I want to Gift Aid my donation of £_______________

and any donations I make in the future to RSPCA WEST DORSET BRANCH

NAME ______________________________________________________________ HOUSE NO OR NAME AND POSTCODE ____________________________________ SIGNED _____________________________________________________________ DATE ___________________________________________________________________________

Please notify us if you want to cancel this declaration, want to change your home address or no longer pay sufficient tax on your income or capital gains.

FUNDRAISING IN SHERBORNE

In 2016 we raised £4,661 here in Sherborne. We held four large fundraising events, which made £3,556 including donations of £544. Two street collections raised £169. Stan and Yvonne Shayler kindly held an afternoon tea party in their lovely garden and donated the £119 which they raised to the branch. Thank you very much, it was a lovely afternoon. Waitrose gave us a month from their community scheme and the public gave enough green discs to make £424. Static collection tins raised £366. Thank you to Pets Haven, Swan Vets, Abbey Bookshop, and Leigh Stores who kindly kept tins for us, and special thanks to the lady who had £256 in hers. In March, Vanessa Wiles held a coffee morning at her house and raised £206 for the animals at Taylors. After 26 years with the West Dorset Branch I have now retired and I would like to thank everyone who has helped me run the Sherborne Auxiliary for the last 20 years that I have been a trustee. Giving their time to help at every event and everything they have donated in goods and money has been so appreciated by me and has made my job a pleasure. Thank you to all.

Jill Kirkby

FUNDRAISING IN CHARMOUTH, LYME REGIS AND AXMINSTER

In 2016 our dedicated team of supporters in the auxiliary raised a grand total of £1,119.13. Of this, £779.13 was raised from the collection boxes in Lyme Regis Antiques and Craft Centre, The Tuckers Arms Pub in Dalwood and in Charmouth at The George Inn, The Post Office, and Morgans Shop. We are so grateful to these businesses for continuing to keep collection dogs and tins for us. The remaining £340 was raised by Mrs Wiscombe who so generously donated the funds from her Open Garden event in May and August.

PLEASE HELP US TO RAISE FUNDS ONLINE

Our website www.westdorsetrspca.org has now been up and running for several years and has grown steadily in popularity and exposure. We have at least 4000 ‘hits’ each month! The site is updated regularly with all of the animals currently in residence at Taylor's Rehoming Centre who are ready to go to new homes. It has become a 'first stop' for potential adopters when they are considering giving a home to a new animal. As well as details of the animals still in need of homes and information regarding the Centre and the adoption procedure, the site has a wealth of information about the work of the Branch. Please do visit the site if you have not done so already. The website has a variety of fundraising initiatives, many of which will help us without costing you a single penny! We have an eBay shop, which has raised valuable funds for us in the past. We are now looking for someone new to take on the task of eBaying items on our behalf. Is this something you might be able to do? If you already have eBay selling experience, and can spare a few hours to list items, deal with buyers and pop things in the post, we’d be delighted to hear from you. We can supply new and donated items to sell (to be collected from Taylors) and all of your costs will, of course, be reimbursed. Even if you would only be able to sell a couple of items a month, we would be very grateful. Please email us on mail@westdorsetrspca.org Secondly, there's our very own “EASYFUNDRAISING" Webshop, which you can find at www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/rspcataylorsrehomingcentre (there’s a handy link on the home page of our own website). If you are used to shopping online with retailers such as Amazon, BHS Direct, Blackwell Books, Boots, CD Wow, Comet, Currys, Daxon, Debenhams, Dixons, Evans, Gap, House of Fraser, JML, John Lewis, Littlewoods, La Redoute, Marks and Sparks, New Look, Next, Pixmania,

Play.com, Sainsburys, Simply Be, The Hut, Toys R Us, WH Smiths, Wilkinsons, 7 Day Shop or many others, then a part of what you spend online with them can be donated to us.... and at absolutely no extra cost to you! For example, if you do your shopping online with Amazon, 1.5% of everything you spend could be donated to us – imagine how that would add up over the course of

a year, and all for two clicks of the mouse! All you have to do is access their website through the links on our Webshop page and then shop online as normal! Because you have been 'referred' to their website through ours, they will donate a percentage of what you spend to us! Please do try and remember to check it out - there are literally hundreds of popular retailers who are accessible through our Webshop and with just two extra clicks, a percentage of what you would spend anyway will come to help the animals at Taylors. You will need to register, but it’s quick and easy. Also, why not use our “Every Click” search engine? www.everyclick.com/rspcawestdorset - again, you can find the link on our website homepage and then add it to your favourites, or even make it your homepage.) It works in just the same way as other internet search engines (the search results are actually provided by Yahoo!) but for every search you make, “Every Click” donate 1 pence to us, at no cost to you! So, if you have a few spare minutes, do a dozen quick searches on our search engine, and that’s 12 pence towards our funds! Finally, you can now follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/rspcawestdorset or follow our page on Facebook (RSPCA Taylors Rehoming Centre).

Susan Stow Website Manager

RSPCA INSPECTORATE GROUP SSW3 2016 ANNUAL REPORT

FOR SOMERSET, DEVON AND WEST DORSET

It is my pleasure to present my annual report of work carried out in SSW3 during 2016. In covering the

group area during the course of their normal duties Inspectorate staff responded to 3344 collection

incidents and investigated 3537 complaints of neglect or cruelty, this reflects an increase of 4.9% and

14.5% respectively over the 2015 figures. During the year 26 (2015 - 29) files of evidence were forwarded

to the Prosecutions Department for consideration. Subsequently 9 of the files were marked as No

Proceedings, 9 were dealt with by way of Written Cautions being administered and the remainder placed

before the courts.

Please find below a selection of some of the cases placed before the courts in 2016.

15-1373

Having received a call regarding expressing serious concern for a dog at a mid Somerset property the

attending Inspector found an 8 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier collapsed and extremely thin in the

hallway of the property. The dog was immediately taken to a nearby Veterinary Practice where the

examining Veterinary Surgeon expressed doubts that the dog would survive the day, however following a

weekend of intensive veterinary care the dog recovered and over a 12 day period put on almost 3kg in

weight. When interviewed the owner could not provide any rational explanation for the poor condition of

the dog and when placed before the courts pleaded guilty to an offence under the Animal Welfare Act of

causing unnecessary suffering. The Magistrates took an extremely serious view of this case and handed

down an eight week prison sentence suspended for two years, imposed a ban on owning all animals for a

period of ten years and ordered the payment of costs totalling £180.

16-0933

Probably the one piece of advice we persistently give to pet owners is to provide clean fresh drinking

water, readily available from a tap, the only outlay being the provision of a suitable bowl or drinking bottle.

Such simple advice was given by an Inspector visiting a mid Devon house where two rabbits were kept in

the garden, a leaflet was also given on caring for rabbits. However during a visit a month later the

Inspector found one of the rabbits had very recently died, the hutch was placed in full sunshine and the

bowl which should have contained water was upside down in the hutch. A post mortem examination

revealed that the rabbit was in fact dehydrated and that this was the likely cause of its death as all other

post mortem findings were grossly normal. The owner pleaded guilty to an offence under the Animal

Welfare Act of causing unnecessary suffering by failing to provide an adequate supply of fresh drinking

water resulting in death. The Court imposed a Community Service Order of sixty hours and a ten year

ban on the keeping of rabbits.

16-1110

On a day to day basis the RSPCA Inspectorate staff provide advice and guidance to resolve the majority

of the incidents we investigate, talking to people and educating them in the needs of their animals is

rarely newsworthy but is always dependent on those we are talking to being receptive to the advice and

then acting on it. This incident spans a time period of almost eighteen months during which the Inspector

gave advice, saw some improvements in the care of various birds, cats and dogs but never to a point of

total satisfaction with further visits required as standards of care seemed to inevitably fall back. The

numbers of animals and birds kept were an obvious factor affecting the owner’s ability to cope and with

broken promises to reduce numbers to a more manageable level it became clear that the situation was

slipping to a level that was unacceptable a view shared by the examining veterinary surgeon who

attended the property, birds cats and dogs were taken into the Society's possession and subsequently

signed over voluntarily by the owner for rehoming. A file was submitted detailing all the time and effort

invested in providing advice which ultimately was simply ignored, offences under the Animal Welfare Act

were placed before the Magistrates to which the defendant pleaded guilty. The Court then imposed

penalties of, a sixteen week curfew order, a ten year ban on the keeping of all animals and ordered costs

to be paid totalling £490

The year saw staffing changes to the group with the retirement of Animal Welfare Officer Steve Powell

and resignation of Inspector Peter Barton both of whom had given many years’ service to the Society

across a range of roles, Steve within animal homes and the West Hatch Wildlife Hospital before joining

the Inspectorate as an Animal Collection Officer and progressing to the AWO role, Peter had initially

joined the Society as a weekend ACO before progressing to the role of Inspector.

The year ahead will see further change as at the time of writing this report I have decide to retire from the

Society at the end of March 2017, the world of animal welfare has certainly changed a great deal since

my first experience of field work as a trainee Inspector for four weeks during the early summer of 1980

with Chief Inspector Brian Hardcastle in Somerset. After my initial posting, a five year sojourn to the

Midlands, I was fortunate to return to the south west, firstly as the North Somerset Branch Inspector

before being promoted to Group Chief Inspector in 1992. Working within the Southwest Region and

SSW3 Group area has been a pleasure and I am grateful to all those past and present from the

Branches, animal establishments and other agencies who have undoubtedly made my life a little easier at

times, thank you. I wish everyone the very best for the future and the challenges that lie ahead as the

RSPCA retains its place at the forefront of animal welfare in this country. I do recall a comment made by

Roma Blanford a past Branch Trustee from South Devon captured on a RSPCA film some years ago, “If

the RSPCA didn’t exist they would need to invent it” with no sign of the demand for our “services”

diminishing this certainly remains true.

Chief Inspector David Steele SSW3

RSPCA WEST DORSET BRANCH MINUTES OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD ON

TUESDAY 28 JUNE 2016 AT RSPCA TAYLORS REHOMING CENTRE

PRESENT

Geoff Matthews Sue Simmonds Susan Stow

Julie Burgess Jill Kirkby George Kirkby

Tess Every Paul Weston Colette Weston

Carol Canfield Graham Burridge Cathy Briggs

Emily Bowen Chief Insp. David Steele Chantell Winter

Frances Ponting Doug O’Keefe Dawn O’Keefe

Zara Winter Meg Rolfe Dave Rolfe

Cara Watts

APOLOGIES

Joyce Baker Sue Wells Insp. John Pollock

Insp. Ken Snook Jeremy Cooper

CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME AND REPORT Geoff Matthews welcomed everyone to the AGM and thanked them for attending. He stated that the RSPCA is free from political allegiances, which is positive thing. Referring to a recent Radio 4 feature, he mentioned that the important factors for people when they consider charities are (a) the ethical collection of money – that is to say, no high pressure fund raising, and (b) transparency of activities. It is true that some members of the public are still not entirely sure what the RSPCA does. Locally and nationally we need to generate more positive publicity, as much of the publicity (nationally) tends to focus on the negative aspects. Geoff noted that as a local branch we are quite successful in generating good publicity, but more can be done. He finished by noting that currently the branch is in a fairly strong position to continue with its work. APOLOGIES Apologies were as noted above. MINUTES OF THE 2015 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The minutes were available as part of the 2015 Annual Report. Paul Weston proposed that they be accepted as a true record, this was seconded by Graham Burridge – all in favour. MATTERS ARISING There were no matters arising. TREASURER’S REPORT Sue Simmonds referred to her statement in the Annual Report, mentioning that thanks to legacies the branch is in a better position now than it was last year. The 2015 accounts showed a loss of £5,495* Costs have increased due to higher wage bills (due to the National Living Wage) and increased staffing levels at Taylors. Sue mentioned that the Bridport shop is doing really well, and thanked Graham Burridge for his support in this area. More shops are needed in order to generate increased income. Ultimately, the long term goal of the branch is to purchase land with a view to constructing a new animal centre. Dave Rolfe queried the ownership of Taylors and it was explained that the branch took a 25 year lease of the land (peppercorn rent) and paid for the construction of the animal centre, thanks to the generous legacy of Mr and Mrs Taylor and fundraising at the time. However, it is possible that the lease will not be renewed by Kingston Maurward College and the branch is therefore seeking to build new premises on freehold land to ensure the future of animal rehoming in West Dorset. The intention is accommodate dogs in addition to cats and small animals. The lease of Taylors prohibits the accommodation of dogs. A recent animal centre constructed by Leeds RSPCA cost approximately £1,800,000 and therefore it will be necessary to raise a lot of extra money before the plans can be taken

forward, hence the intention to make plans in this regard sooner rather than later. Geoff Matthews explained that the branch intends to make the most of the bi-centenary celebrations of the RSPCA (in 2024) to generate support for a new animal centre. *adjusted audited figure ACCEPTANCE OF THE BRANCH ACCOUNTS It was proposed by Graham Burridge that the Branch Accounts be accepted. This was seconded by Julie Burgess and all those present and entitled to vote were in favour. APPOINTMENT OF AUDITOR FOR 2016 It was proposed by Geoff Matthews and seconded by Susan Stow that Edwards and Keeping be reappointed as auditors. All those present and entitled to vote were in favour. Sue Simmonds added that they are very helpful and are assisting with the introduction of compulsory pension arrangements for staff. ELECTION OF BRANCH COMMITTEE The following candidates were duly re-elected: Geoff Matthews Susan Stow Sue Simmonds Julie Burgess Jill Kirkby George Kirkby Colette Weston Paul Weston Carol Canfield Graham Burridge *Cathy Briggs was later co-opted on to the committee, being ineligible to stand for election at the AGM ANY OTHER BUSINESS Commenting on the Chairman’s introductory remarks, Chief Insp. David Steele mentioned that a lot of media interest focuses on cruelty cases, whereas only 2-3% of the work of the Inspectorate concerns cruelty cases. He then mentioned the importance of Inspectors giving animal centre staff a ‘background’ to animals handed over for rehoming. If they know the history and as many details as possible about an animal, staff in animal centres can work to rehabilitate animals to ensure that they are fit for rehoming and can enjoy a happy future with new owners. This is incredibly important work and needs to be promoted. Positive press publicity can be generated around animals which have been rescued from neglect and abandonment, but have been rehabilitated by centre staff to make them fit for loving new homes. Following refreshments, there was a very interesting and informative talk entitled ‘Lion Mad’ by Cara Watts regarding her time spent working with big cats in Africa.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPONSOR A CAT PEN?

You can ‘Sponsor’ a cat pen, cage or hutch at “Taylor’s” by way of a ‘one-off’ donation or a yearly payment, from as little as £25. All Sponsors are recognised by way of a personalised plaque displayed on the pen or hutch. This is a wonderful way of showing your support for the Centre, and you and your friends will, of course, be able to visit Taylor’s to see ‘your plaque’ on the pen, cage or hutch!

I WISH TO SPONSOR A PEN AT TAYLOR’S NAME ADDRESS EMAIL TELEPHONE DATE

Please make cheques payable to RSPCA West Dorset Branch. I enclose a donation of £_______ for the following Sponsorship category (PLEASE TICK BOX) □Sponsor a Hutch - £50 □Sponsor a Cage - £25 Sponsor a Cat Pen:- □1 year - £70 □2 years - £100 □3 years - £150 □5 years - £250 □10 years - £450 □15 years - £650 □20 years - £800 □25 years - £1000

If you would rather make an Annual Sponsorship payment please tick here □

Annual donation of £ (minimum £25) Please contact us for details if you would like to pay by standing order.

PLEASE FILL IN BELOW HOW YOU WOULD LIKE THE REST OF THE INSCRIPTION TO APPEAR ON YOUR PLAQUE. PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS.

S P O N S O R E D B Y

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SMALL CHANGE APPEAL

The economic recession has affected us all, and we desperately need your help so we can continue to help local animals. We know how tough it can be

to make ends meet so we are only asking if you could please consider a regular donation of just £2.50 a month. Every penny really does count.

In order to continue our work we need to raise in the region of

£300,000 a year

We receive no lottery or government funding

Just £2.50 a month could

make all the difference

Please consider making a regular donation towards our work.

We are grateful for any amount, however large or small.

Our ability to continue helping local animals depends entirely upon the

support of local people. _________________________________________________________

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GIFT AID DECLARATION Boost your donation by 25p of Gift Aid for every £1 you donate

Gift Aid is reclaimed by the charity from the tax you pay for the current tax year. Your address is needed to identify you as a current UK taxpayer.

I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on my donation in that tax year it is my responsibility to

pay any difference. I want to Gift Aid my donation of £_______________

and any donations I make in the future to RSPCA WEST DORSET BRANCH

NAME ______________________________________________________________ HOUSE NO OR NAME AND POSTCODE ____________________________________ SIGNED _____________________________________________________________ DATE ___________________________________________________________________________

Please notify us if you want to cancel this declaration, want to change your home address or no longer pay sufficient tax on your income or capital gains.