A Home of Their Own: The Heart-warming 150-year History of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home - Couverture rigide

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is one of the best-known animal sanctuaries in the world. Since it first opened its doors in 1860, millions of lost, abused and abandoned pets have benefited from its founder's promise that no dog or cat 'in any condition be, on any pretence whatever, refused admittance'. Around the world Battersea is a byword for compassion and hope.

It hasn't always been this way. When the Home was first established, Victorian London had little time for the canine strays that routinely wandered its grimy streets; homeless dogs found on the pavements were routinely destroyed. During its early years the Home was threatened by financial crises, threats of eviction and legal action by neighbours upset by the constant barking. Then came rabies epidemics and the Blitz. Yet the Home not only survived, it thrived.

Here is the story of this remarkable institution. It tells how the treatment of dogs and cats has evolved from Victorian times up to the present day. At its heart is the story of the remarkable characters who made Battersea what it is today, from the mysterious Mary Tealby, the remarkable founder of the Home, to Airedale Jack, the Battersea dog who became a hero in the trenches of the Great War. It is a book that will warm the hearts of animal lovers everywhere.

"It's fantastic that Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is still going strong after 150 years. As a dog lover myself, I fully support the work of the Home. Rescuing a dog or cat is such a fulfilling and rewarding experience as I have found with Buster, Olga and Bullseye! I would recommend anyone to consider getting their pet from a rescue home like Battersea. It's great to think of the thousands of animals they've helped over the years - long may it continue!" (Paul O'Grady)

"For 150 years Battersea Dogs & Cats Home has been salvation for thousands of dogs and cats. The staff are incredible and I sincerely wishand hope they are around for at least another 150 years" (Simon Cowell)

"Congratulations Battersea! The cats and dogs who find their way here are the lucky ones." (Judi Dench)

"The story is all here: compassion, determination, adversity, politics, wartime cares, 21st Century carelessness." (Libby Purves Mail on Sunday)