The Cheltenham Animal Shelter will be opening their doors to the public on Saturday 22nd September as they host their annual open day.

The open day had been scheduled to take place earlier in the summer, but the heatwave caused the event to be postponed. “Postponing the event wasn’t a decision we took lightly, unfortunately we had to make a tough call,” said Peter Newcombe, General Manager at the shelter.

He continued: “Our main event is a novelty dog show and we didn’t think it was fair to expose the animals to 35-degree heat. Thankfully temperatures have cooled down a fair bit since then so now it’s all systems go for next Saturday.

“The whole site is open to the public. We should have between 15-20 stalls selling various things from gifts to cakes. Anyone with an appetite can enjoy something off the BBQ. We’ll also have several things to keep children entertained, including a bouncy castle and games.

“We’re very pleased to be welcoming two special guests to our open day. Miss Cheltenham, Katy Van Hemelryk, will be attending along with Bernard Fisher, the Mayor of Cheltenham. We’re really excited to be welcoming them both and showing them what goes on here at the shelter. Katie and Bernard will also be judging one of the categories in our dog show.

“Last year we managed to raise just over seven thousand pounds, so our aim is to try and beat that figure. All the money raised goes directly to the care of the animals. Our rehoming animals are on show throughout the day, anyone potentially interested in looking after one of our animals is encouraged to pay us a visit.

“It’s free entry and there is free parking on the Gardners Lane Primary School who very kindly allow us use of their field.

“We’re always keen to hear from anyone who wants to help out regarding financial donations. Sponsorship for the event is open, any businesses who are keen to donate are encouraged to contact us, we’d love to hear from any interested parties.

“We’re very lucky to have such a great team that works here. We also have approximately 70 volunteers whose work is invaluable.

“At present Cheltenham Animal Shelter is not eligible for National Lottery or Government funding. Instead we rely on the generosity of our supporters to meet the £650,000 annual running costs.”

Cheltenham Animal Shelter has been operating for 92 years. In that time they have rehomed thousands of animals.

Peter added: “Most of the animals we look after are dogs and cats. We usually have 50-60 dogs on the premises and up to 40 cats.

“We also have a collection of small animals including rabbits, guinea pigs and ferrets. Obviously we’re looking to rehome them all. There are significant costs that come with the care of animals. Our open day is a great opportunity for us to raise as much as we can to help us provide the best possible care for our animals.”