celia hammond animal trust
Animal Rescue Charity
Celia Hammond Animal Trust is a unique non destruction charity providing essential low cost veterinary services for sick and injured pets as well as a rescue and homing service for unwanted, abandoned and stray cats in London and the South East.
Please help us build a dedicated rescue and rehoming centre, and secure the future of our Lewisham hub for decades to come
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A NEW RESCUE AND REHOMING CENTRE IN LEWISHAM
In October 2023, we were granted planning permission to redevelop the Friendly Street warehouse and former shop at the rear of our Lewisham site into a new rescue and rehoming centre.
Phases 1 and 2A of the project have been funded by legacy gifts. Phase 1 of the building works has already been completed and phase 2A works are to commence shortly. We are now fundraising to pay for phase 2B, the construction of the main two-storey building, and we really need your support in funding the next stage of this project.
Please donate whatever you can afford and help us continue caring for animals who need us most.
Celia Hammond Animal Trust
OFFICIAL PAGE Celia Hammond Animal Trust, UK. We rescue rehabilitate and re-home abandoned animals.
POV: You’re 5 weeks old, your foster mum mentions an all-nighter… and you take it VERY seriously. 😂
Little rescue kitten Tsunami 🧡 came into our charity with her five siblings and is being lovingly hand-reared by one of our amazing kitten fosterers.
Tsunami has cerebellar hypoplasia, which causes tremors and makes her walking very wobbly. Last night, she suddenly collapsed and had to be rushed to the vets. After fluids and a tiny amount of pain relief (she’s only 5 weeks old 🥺), she came home for some intensive care from her foster mum.
And now? SHE’S BACK ON HER FEET! 🥹🧡 Still cautious, but sitting up and walking without collapsing.
Tsunami’s take on her big night out:
“I’m feeling quite a bit better today 🧡 I can sit up again and walk without collapsing, thanks to the lovely vet and my foster mum.
I did keep her up ALL night though… I thought I heard her mention something about an Ibiza festival, so obviously I thought we were doing an all-nighter. 🎶
Turns out she meant kitten care all nighter! . Still, I think I brought the festival vibes. 🐾”
Meanwhile, her foster mum formally requested a lie-in. No chance there! 😂🧡 #ibizavibes #kittens #kittenrescue #bekinditsfree ... See MoreSee Less
📎 Debbie the office cat is retiring… 📎
It’s only been a couple of weeks since Debbie joined us up in the Canning Town office, but she’s already made herself very comfortable.
Debbie came into our care some months back after a member of the public handed her into Vets4Pets Romford. She was reportedly a stray, in a bad state and had infected injuries to the bottoms of her paws. Unfortunately, we don’t know the reasons behind how her paws came to be so terribly injured.
Now she’s neutered, vaccinated and healed, she’s been residing on our rehoming floor. But recently she’s been moved upstairs to the office for a little TLC, some socialising and the chance to stretch her legs.
Our office is home to the rehoming team, volunteer coordinator and social media officer and Debbie’s been very busy overseeing operations from the comfort of her favourite spot.
After a couple of weeks in the job… she’s decided she’s ready for retirement. 😂
We’re not entirely sure she’s put in enough years to qualify for a pension, but Debbie is 11, so we’ll let her make the rules.
Now, Debbie is looking for her retirement home. ❤️
She’s looking for a calm, loving, indoor-only home where she can be the only cat. She enjoys a little afternoon snooze, attention, affection, being brushed and - like any good boss - will let you know when she’s ready for some quiet time.
Debbie has arthritis, which is managed with daily medication in her food and a monthly injection and she is doing well with her treatment. These injections can be easily administered at one of our clinics.
Every cat we’ve had come into the office has gone on to find their purrfect family fairly quickly, so we’re hoping our lucky streak hasn’t run out with Debbie. 🤞
Could you be the person to give our newest (and shortest-serving) boss the furever home she deserves?
If you are interested in adopting Debbie, please email:
📧 adoptionscanningtown@celiahammond.org
#celiahammondanimaltrust #canningtown #goldenoldies #debbie #catadoption ... See MoreSee Less
🐱 40 FACTS FOR 40 YEARS - PART 2 🐱
Before there was the Celia Hammond Animal Trust, there was Celia.
She was passionate about animals, but she wasn’t someone who was prepared to just stand by when she saw something wrong. She campaigned, spoke out and fought for animals whenever she felt they were being let down.
From factory farming and vivisection to live animal exports, Celia was never afraid to make her voice heard. She regularly went down to the ports to protest, where thousands of people joined her.
Not only was she campaigning, she was also rescuing, neutering and rehoming stray and unwanted animals.
🎬 In Part 2, we’re looking back at the campaigns and causes Celia fought for before CHAT even existed.
And we’re only just getting started… 🐾❤️
#celiahammondanimaltrust #40factsfor40years ... See MoreSee Less
💔 Little Betsy should have been full of mischief, not fighting for her life 💔
We know this is a longer post, but Betsy’s story is one that needs to be heard, so please don’t scroll past.
On Tuesday morning, two tiny kittens were rescued by two of our Canning Town volunteers from a warehouse in East London. They were found alongside their mum, another female cat and a male cat, who were all living at the property.
There had been a third kitten, but tragically, he had died before we could get to him.
We were absolutely shocked to discover the kittens were 21 days old. They were so incredibly tiny that they looked almost newborn.
Both were desperately unwell. They were crawling with fleas, so many that they were jumping into their eyes and mouths. Their eyes were sealed shut with pus and infection and they were incredibly weak.
Tragically, one kitten was suffering so badly that the kindest thing we could do was to put him to sleep.
And then there was little Betsy. 🐱
At just 157g, Betsy should have weighed somewhere around 600–1000g for her age. She was tiny, frail and incredibly vulnerable, but she was fighting. As we tried to place an IV for essential fluids, this little girl wriggled and squirmed with every ounce of strength she had. She was placed into an incubator and her temperature began to rise. She had a blood transfusion and was hand fed, receiving the intensive care she desperately needed from our incredible vet team, as her mum had rejected her.
We desperately hoped she would pull through.
But despite everything, Betsy didn’t make it. 💔
She was simply too small, too weak and severely malnourished.
The owners weren’t aware of the benefits and importance of neutering and the consequences of having to care for kittens. But when we stepped in, they were open to our help. They understood that things had gone tragically wrong and wanted to make the situation right.
Betsy’s mum and the two other cats living at the property are now being neutered, vaccinated, flea treated and wormed. This will prevent any more kittens being born and stop another litter experiencing the suffering that Betsy and her brothers endured.
Betsy’s story is devastating, but unfortunately, it is not unusual. Every week, we see the consequences of unwanted and unplanned litters; kittens born into circumstances where they are already struggling and dying before they have even had a chance at life. It breaks our hearts every single time.
We can’t say this enough… neutering is one of the most important things any cat owner can do to prevent this suffering. It doesn’t just prevent unwanted kittens; it reduces the number of cats entering an already totally overwhelmed rescue system and helps prevent situations where tiny, vulnerable lives are born only to face illness, neglect, abandonment or death.
Our clinics are at full capacity, neutering as many cats as our resources allow, and our small veterinary teams are also working tirelessly to deal with the constant stream of life and death emergency rescues coming through our doors. But that doesn’t make the message any less important. We still need to educate. We still need to talk about neutering and we still need to encourage every cat owner to have their cats neutered.
If your cat isn’t neutered, please speak to your vet or another reputable animal welfare organisation about getting them neutered. Please don’t wait for us to have availability and please don’t wait for an unwanted litter to arrive. If cost at private practice vets is an issue, there is charity help out there. You may just need to search a little harder in these current overwhelming times of so many cats needing neutering and the limited veterinary resources available to charities.
‼️ Also, please help us get this message further. Don’t just share this post on Facebook. Share it to Nextdoor, local community groups and anywhere else you can. The more people who see it, the more chance we have of reaching someone else who doesn’t yet know how important neutering is. ‼️
Because by the time three week old kittens like Betsy are in our care, desperately fighting for their lives, it can already be too late.
We wish we could have saved her. We couldn’t. But we can use her story to remind people that prevention matters.
Please, please help us keep spreading the word about why neutering matters. It really can prevent devastating and unnecessary suffering. 💔🐾
Let’s make sure Betsy and her brothers’ short lives meant something. Every life matters.
#celiahammondanimaltrust #neuteringsaveslives ... See MoreSee Less
🐾 Happy Adoption Thursday 🐾
“We adopted ‘Sunbeam’ from your Canning Town branch back in December 2025. She is now named Tilly and has settled in really well with us! She is a happy and playful girl but also loves a good nap, as you can see from the pictures.
Tilly loves playing with a laser pointer in a game we call ‘Tilly Tornado’, she also loves to jump up for a cuddle.” - Zoe
Seeing rescue cats blossom in loving homes is the reason we do what we do. Tilly looks so content, and it’s wonderful to hear how well she’s settled in. Wishing you both many happy years (and plenty more rounds of Tilly Tornado! 🌪️) together.
➡️Have you adopted from Celia Hammond Animal Trust? We’d love to hear from you! Send your photos via DM using the words “HAPPY ADOPTION” to share your update. 🐾 💙
#celiahammondanimaltrust #rescuecat #rescuecat #happyadoptionthursday #adoptdontshop #happyadoption #ForeverHome ... See MoreSee Less
Meet Gregg 🐱
Gregg is a gorgeous tabby, estimated to be around 2 years old, who is currently with us at Canning Town. Yet another unneutered, unchipped stray tomcat from the Newham area, he has been fed by a kind member of the public for the last 10 months before coming into our care.
Sadly, Gregg has paraplegia in his back legs and our vets have also found an abscess at the base of his tail. They suspect this may have caused an infection that has travelled to his spine, which could be behind the loss of feeling in his back legs.
He’s currently on fluids, antibiotics and pain relief and, thankfully, is calm and comfortable. He also had a urinary catheter in place to help him drain his bladder and allow us to monitor how much urine he was producing. This was removed last night and we’re now keeping a close eye on him to see if he can toilet on his own without medical intervention.
We’ve swabbed the wound and sent it off for testing. Once we get the results back, we’ll know more about what we’re dealing with and how best to treat him.
At the moment, we’re also trying to tempt Gregg to eat with some Gourmet wet food. It’s not something we would normally buy for the cats in our care as it’s quite expensive, so we rely on donations of this type of food when we need something extra to tempt a cat to eat. The link to our Amazon wish list is in the first comment below 🧡
It’s still very early days for Gregg, and there’s a lot we don’t know yet. We’re hoping for the best possible outcome and desperately hoping that he’ll regain feeling in his back legs and go on to make a full recovery.
What we do know is that Gregg is an absolute sweetheart. He loves a cuddle and a fuss, is always making biscuits and will contort his body in ways we’ve never seen before just to get a head scratch.
Despite everything he’s going through, he’s such a happy, affectionate boy and is lapping up all the attention he gets from the team.
For now, Gregg is safe and getting all the care he needs. We’re really hoping that with the right treatment and a bit of luck, he’ll get the happy ending he deserves.
Please follow along with Gregg’s story - we’ll be sharing an update on him soon. If you can, please share his story so we can reach as many people as possible and give Gregg all the love and support he needs. ❤️
Keep everything crossed for Gregg. 🤞
#celiahammondanimaltrust #neutering #neuteringsaveslives ... See MoreSee Less
🐈⬛ Happy Black Cat Appreciation Day 🐈⬛
Black cats have had a bit of a rough time, haven’t they?
They’ve been surrounded by myths and superstitions for centuries. Black cats have been associated with bad luck, witches and misfortune, while in other cultures they’ve been seen as symbols of good luck, love, protection and prosperity.
I’ve only recently joined CHAT as the new Social Media Officer, but one thing I’ve already noticed is how easy it is for animals to be judged before we’ve even got to know them.
After a while, you stop seeing the colour. You stop noticing the markings. You just see them: their little personalities, their quirks, the way they look at you, the things that make them who they are.
Some are cuddly, some are cheeky, some are nervous and some would quite happily tell you to keep your distance 😂. But they’re all individuals, and getting to know them is what makes them so special.
I think that’s something you really notice when you work with animals. People can have an idea of an animal before they’ve even met them.
“Feral.” “Difficult.” “Nervous.” “Unwanted.”
But you often find there’s a whole lot more to them than the label suggests.
So today we’re celebrating black cats, but also the bigger reminder behind them: look beyond what you see at first glance.
Because the things you thought mattered can become the things you barely notice at all. 🖤
#celiahammondanimaltrust #blackcatappreciationday ... See MoreSee Less
🐱 40 FACTS FOR 40 YEARS - PART 1 🐱
The Celia Hammond Animal Trust started with one woman, a deep love for animals and a determination to make a difference. ❤️
To celebrate 40 years of our charity, we’re taking you on a journey through the story of the Trust: from Celia’s early life and campaigning, through the charity’s beginnings, the milestones along the way and the work we’re continuing today.
Over the coming videos, we’ll be sharing 40 facts that tell the story of 40 years of the Celia Hammond Animal Trust.
🎬 In Part 1, we go right back to the beginning, with Celia.
This is where our story starts… 🐾
#celiahammondanimaltrust #40factsfor40years ... See MoreSee Less
🩺 What You Could Experience on Placement: Bongo’s Story to Recovery 🩺
When Bongo arrived at our clinic, it was clear he was in a great deal of pain. He had suffered a devastating tail injury that was simply too severe to repair. Although we don’t know what caused the damage, our veterinary team carefully assessed him and made the difficult decision to amputate his tail. It was the best way to relieve his pain and give him the chance of a full recovery.
Thankfully, Bongo is now healing beautifully and is back to his playful self! 🐾
His owner was incredibly grateful for the care and compassion Bongo received. After paying his veterinary bill, he kindly made an additional £100 donation (plus Gift Aid) to help another cat receive the same lifesaving care. 💙
Cases like Bongo’s are just one example of the varied and rewarding work our veterinary teams experience every day. Veterinary care is about more than treating an injury - it’s about caring for the animal, supporting their owner and giving every patient the best possible chance.
For students considering a career in veterinary medicine, a placement with our veterinary teams offers a real insight into life in practice. You’ll have the opportunity to observe experienced vets and nurses, see real clinical decision-making, ask questions and learn how compassionate care is delivered, even in challenging situations.
From emergency treatment and complex surgery to recovery and aftercare, there is always something new to learn.
Interested in gaining real-world experience and exploring a future in veterinary medicine? Why not consider a placement with us?
📍 Lewisham Clinic:
🎓 3rd year students and above: nicky@celiahammond.org
🎓 1st & 2nd year students: verena@celiahammond.org
We would be delighted to hear from students who are passionate about animal welfare and eager to develop their skills in a real clinical environment, working alongside experienced veterinary professionals.
#celiahammondanimaltrust #emsvet #veterinarystudies #veterinaryplacement ... See MoreSee Less