Blue Cross (animal charity) facts for kids
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| Founded | 1897 |
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| Focus | Animal veterinary treatment, rehoming and owner support |
| Location |
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Area served
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United Kingdom |
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Revenue
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£36.05 million (2020) |
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Employees
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779 (2020) |
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Volunteers
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4,327 (2018) |
| Website | https://www.bluecross.org.uk |
Blue Cross is a special charity in the United Kingdom that helps animals. It started way back in 1897!
This charity does many important things for pets. They give animals medical care, help with pet behavior, and find loving homes for pets that don't have one. Blue Cross also has a special service to help people who are sad after losing a pet. They work with other groups too, to make sure pets are well cared for and that owners know how to be responsible.
Contents
The History of Blue Cross
Blue Cross began on May 10, 1897, in London. It was first called Our Dumb Friends League. Its main goal was to help working horses on the busy streets of London.
The charity opened its very first animal hospital in Victoria, London, on May 15, 1906. This was a big step in helping sick and injured animals.
Helping Animals During Wars
In 1912, the League started something new called The Blue Cross Fund. This fund was created to help horses during the Balkan War. When the First World War began in 1914, the fund quickly started helping again.
By the end of the First World War in 1918, The Blue Cross Fund had collected almost £170,000. This is like nearly £6.5 million today! This money helped care for animals caught in the conflict. Over 50,000 horses were treated in Blue Cross hospitals in France. The charity also sent important vet supplies to 3,500 British Army units.
During the Second World War, donations helped Blue Cross care for more than 350,000 animals. Many of these animals were hurt during the Blitz, which was a time of heavy bombing.
Changing Names
The name "Blue Cross Fund" became very well known. Because of this, the charity officially changed its name to "The Blue Cross" in 1950. Then, in 2011, they made it even simpler, dropping "The" to become just "Blue Cross."
Chris Burghes became the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Blue Cross in June 2020.
What Blue Cross Does Today
Blue Cross offers many services across the United Kingdom. Their main activities include:
- Finding new homes for pets that need them.
- Providing vet services for pet owners who can't afford private vet fees.
- Teaching people about how to care for animals.
- Running the Pet Bereavement Support Service. This is a free and private helpline for people who are sad after losing a pet.
They also have a special horse ambulance service. This service is often seen at big horse events.
Animal Hospitals and Clinics
Blue Cross runs four animal hospitals. Three of these are in London: in Victoria, Merton, and Hammersmith. The fourth hospital is in Grimsby, Lincolnshire.
In 2014, they opened a pet care clinic in Derby. Since then, they have opened four more clinics. In 2010, Blue Cross performed over 97,000 treatments, operations, and tests for animals.
Finding New Homes for Pets
Blue Cross is very active in animal adoption. They help find homes for many kinds of pets. This includes cats, dogs, rabbits, and small rodents. They also help rehome larger animals like horses.
In 2015, their team helped 9,160 animals find new homes. Their vet team helped 29,549 animals that year.
Behavior Help and Support
The charity also works to make animals' lives better by giving advice to pet owners. They offer help with animal behavior therapy. If you adopt a pet from Blue Cross, you can get free behavior advice for your pet's whole life.
The Pet Bereavement Support Service is a free and private helpline. It's available every day of the year. It helps people who are struggling with the sadness of losing a pet.
New Centers
In 2016, Blue Cross moved its Felixstowe animal adoption center to a new, bigger place near Ipswich, Suffolk. This new center can care for twice as many pets! Blue Cross also opened a new animal adoption center in Newport, South Wales, in 2016.
Partnerships
The Irish Blue Cross is a group that is connected to Blue Cross. Blue Cross is also an Advisory Member of the ABTC, which stands for the Animal Behaviour and Training Council.
Awards for Bravery
Blue Cross has given out medals to animals and people who have shown great bravery or heroism.
The first medals were given to people who helped rescue animals. But in 1918, medals were given to honor horses that served in the First World War.
Between 1940 and 1951, medals were given to several dogs. One famous dog was Juliana, who reportedly put out an incendiary bomb.
In 2006, Jake, a police explosives dog, received a medal. He helped clear the London Underground after the bombings on July 7, 2005.
In 2017, a Staffordshire bull terrier named Romeo got the Blue Cross Medal. He was a therapy dog for people who had strokes or dementia. He also donated blood to help other dogs.
