Early history
Our Branch has a rich history of helping animals that dates back to 1930! Following a resolution to create our Branch passed by the Hants and Surrey Border Branch in December 1930, we held our inaugural meeting of the “Alton, Haslemere, Petersfield and District Branch, RSPCA” on the 12th January 1931.
Our founding Trustees were local and inspirational leaders that included Lady Wolmer as President and the Rt. Hon. Col Nicholson MP, Lord Exmouth, and General Burrowes all as Vice Presidents. Our very first Chairman was Major Webb.
26 March 1931
We held our first public inaugural meeting at St.Peter’s Hall, Petersfield. The Portsmouth Evening News newspaper reported:
“NEW R.S.P.C.A, BRANCH. The inaugural meeting of the new Alton, Haslemere, Petersfield and District Branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals held in St. Peter’s Hall yesterday afternoon. There was large attendance, the Vicar (the Rev. E. C. A. Kent), who presided, apologised for the absence of the principal speaker. Sir Robert Gower, 0.8. E., M.P.. for whom Captain E, O. Fairholme. the General Secretary of the Society deputised. Captain Hillter, the Regional Organising Secretary, described how the new Branch came to be formed as result of the division of the old Hants and Surrey Border Branch. One of their first duties a branch, he said, was to obtain £200 per year towards the cost of the local inspector. The election of officers was formally moved by the Chairman and Mr. A. A. Pearson who seconded, remarked upon the splendid work of Mrs. Blagden in arranging the meeting. Captain Fairholme gave an interesting address, which he dealt with various aspects of the Society’s work, and both he and the Chairman were thanked by Major Wells and General Burrows. After the meeting tea was served.”
Spring 1931
Local Inspector appointed. Regular animal welfare activity was ensuring that animals at Petersfield market were watered and special attention to the handling of calves as necessary and that he be reimbursed for any expense incurred.September 1931
First Inspector’s report recording:
“34 complaints of cruelty received, 103 animals humanely destroyed, and good homes found for several cats and dogs which otherwise would have had to be destroyed”.
World War II
October 1939 Committee Meeting
- Miss Bonham-Carter resigned as an Auxilliary as she was now a mobile member of the VAD.
- It was also decided that local Inspector Saunders should see the butchers in each town or village in the District and ask them if they would be willing to help the Society by destroying humanly any animal badly injured by air raid.
- Decided to send a letter to the local press drawing the attention of the public to the booklet ‘A.R.P. for animals in time of war’.
10th June 1940
- The Branch now has to share an Inspector with Hants & Surrey Borders and he is relocated to Aldershot because younger Inspectors have been called up
- There had been a great many complaints about the behaviour of the evacuee children at Petersfield market, the children were usually from the towns and did not know how to treat animals.
1943 Branch Annual General Meeting
- Minutes refer to contributions to the Allies Fund for Russian Horses.
Rehoming local animals 1980s-2016
1980s – 2007 the Branch ran an adoption and rehoming programme for dogs, cats and small animals such as rabbits. During this period, we had 21 fosterers who looked after cats in their own home until a new owner was found. Several fosterers had cat pens in their own gardens to enable us to take in more cats and on average we rehomed around 120 cats per year.
From 1993 we also used a local private boarding cattery to care for cats while new owner was found.
To 1988 we rehomed 70-80 dogs per year, using both local fosterers who cared for the dogs in their own homes as well using a private boarding kennel.
During the 1990s we also had rabbit hutches and runs in a couple of fosterer’s home.
In 1997 we started using the British Veterinary Association (BVA) Scheme with the local vets which continues to be extensively used.
Visit this link for more details.
Then in July 2007, we progressed to building our very own 10-pen deluxe Cattery in Hindhead, Surrey, within the grounds of a long-standing Trustee Delia Andrews. From 2007 to December 2016 Delia homed over 760 cats and kittens, and during that time only 3/4 cats were ever returned!
Cattery stories
- A notable rehoming during Delia’s time was “Gus the theatre cat” rehomed to Putney theatre.
- One of the most difficult intakes was 16 cats from a single home. (unfortunately some were so unwell that they had to be PTS).
- One of the Cattery volunteers took two cats who enjoyed weekend life on their narrow boat.
- The importance of microchipping (though now law) was a cat which managed to escape its harness in a Haslemere car park when its owners stopped to give it a bathroom break on the way home from holiday. It ended up in Delia’s cattery as a stray, but when scanned its owner was found and overjoyed to be reunited with their cat.
