Battersea Dogs & Cats Home 2010

‘We aim never to turn away a dog or cat in need of our help’ – that’s the simple message of the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, and one hundred and fifty years since its formation, it remains true to its word.

The world famous rescue centre has come a long way since 1860, when the temporary home for ‘Lost and Starving Dogs’ was established by Mary Tealby, in Holloway, North London. Eleven years later it moved to Battersea and in 1883 it started taking in cats as well.

Now every year the home takes in approximately 12,000 dogs and cats, and in addition to the main home in Battersea, it also has two other centres in Kent and Berkshire; Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Brands Hatch and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Old Windsor.

From there they reunite lost dogs and cats with their owners through their Lost Dogs & Cats Line, or care for them until new homes can be found; giving them shelter and the highest standards of kennelling and veterinary care.

Ten animals that have been found new homes by the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home were selected by Royal Mail’s design team and photographed by animal photographer Steve Hoskins, whose assistant also works part-time at the home.

The cats and dogs were photographed in two sessions – one at Battersea and the other at the home’s Old Windsor centre - and the priority was to capture the character and dignity of these one-time abandoned pets.

Clearly taking photographs of animals awaiting rehoming and ‘on their own’ under the bright lights of a studio would have been inappropriate, so apart from Button, the dogs and cats featured on the stamps live with staff who work within the organisation.

The owners obviously played their part in ensuring that their pets were on their best behaviour, however the use of a ‘Ham Wrangler’ (on hand to offer the ‘models’ tempting slices of meat) proved very effective at keeping attentions focused on the job in hand.

1st Class

Pixie, rehomed by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

Pixie is a two-year-old Mastiff cross who has been rehomed.

1st Class

Button, rescued by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

Button is a five-year-old Domestic Short Hair cross rescued by the home.

1st Class

Herbie, rehomed by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

Herbie is a seven-year-old Mongrel who was taken in by Battersea as a puppy and subsequently rehomed.

1st Class

Mr Tumnus, rehomed by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

Mr Tumnus is a two-year-old Domestic Short Hair cross rehomed by Battersea.

1st Class

Tafka, rehomed by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

Tafka is a seven-year-old Border Collie who was taken in when his owner died, he has since been rehomed.

1st Class

Boris, rehomed by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

Two to three-year-old Boris is a Bulldog cross who has been rehomed by Battersea.

1st Class

Casey, rescued by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

Casey is five to six-year-old Lurcher rescued by the home.

1st Class

Tigger, rehomed by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

Fifteen-year-old Tigger is a Domestic Short Hair cross rehomed by Battersea.

1st Class

Leonard, rehomed by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

Leonard is a two to three-year-old Jack Russell cross rehomed by Battersea.

1st Class

Tia, rescued by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

Tia is a nine-year-old Terrier cross rescued by the home.

Presentation Pack No. 438

The fully illustrated Presentation Pack contains all ten Battersea Dogs & Cats Home stamps. Inside is the story of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and an explanation of their work today. The pack was designed by Thoughtful, information supplied by BD&CH and printed by Walsall Security Printers.

Stamp Cards

Ten postcards bearing enlarged images of each of the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home stamps go on sale about a week before the stamp issue date.

Feature	Type/Detail
Number of stamps	Ten
Design	CDT Design
Photography	Steve Hoskins
Stamp format	Square
Stamp size	35mm x 35mm
Printer	Cartor Security Printing
Print process	Lithography
Number per sheet	30/60
Perforations	14.5 x 14.5
Phosphor	Background screen
Gum	PVA

Text © reproduced with the permission of Royal Mail Group Ltd. All rights reserved.