Animal Magic

Battersea's rehoming centre Brands Hatch, which has just celebrated its 20th anniversary, offers a peaceful rural sanctuary for dogs and cats

The Brands Hatch centre of animal rehoming charity Battersea has come a long way since it opened 20 years ago to cope with overflow from the main London centre.

Originally a privately owned boarding kennels, the Kent site is set in 12 acres of rolling countryside and has been rebuilt from the ground up to provide state-of-the-art facilities to the many rescue animals who pass through its doors. Run by a mixture of paid staff and dedicated volunteers, Battersea Brands Hatch can house up to 61 animals at one time – with kennels and a cattery section, as well as a clinic and plenty of woodland walks for the dogs.

We’re welcomed at the front desk by a member of staff and by Dan, a friendly black greyhound who is the current office assistant.

Centre Manager Anna Hemmings, previously at the London centre, has worked here for the past three years and shows off the facilities proudly, keen to point out how much time the staff spend one-to-one with the animals.

“I had always wanted to work at the Brands Hatch site,” she says. “Because of the beautiful location with fields and woodlands to exercise and socialise the dogs in. I had always known about the centre as I grew up nearby.

“It’s the secluded rural site that makes this centre really stand out, and it’s often used for the animals that need more peaceful surroundings than the city.