Dog's Green Oasis in London

Gardening volunteers have built an urban jungle for street dogs.

The team of volunteers at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home have been using their spare time to convert the centre into a greener and more enriched space for animals and the public to enjoy. All of which has been achieved thanks to support from players of People's Postcode Lottery.

Katie Morgan, Head Gardening Volunteer at Battersea said: “I’ve been volunteering at Battersea since 2011 and being here allows me to combine two of my favourite things-gardening and animals.”

Katie Morgan, Head Gardening Volunteer at Battersea said: “I’ve been volunteering at Battersea since 2011 and being here allows me to combine two of my favourite things-gardening and animals.”

Katie added: “Across the centre we’ve grown a variety of different plants, from rosemary to lavender and mint, all of which are safe for dogs and will give them plenty to smell. We’ve also been busy creating a sensory garden for the dogs, which include wind chimes and sand and gravel pits for the dogs to explore in.”

The vast centre was comprised of concrete paths and tarmacked paddocks with very little green until Katie and her team started gardening. They knew how much dogs love to sniff and explore their surroundings and they decided to transform the neglected unused areas into special exercise areas where dogs can enjoy themselves in times of stress and confusion. Pots, plants and equipment can get expensive, especially for a charity. But thankfully, People’s Postcode Lottery awarded £100,000 to Battersea’s Fostering and Volunteering department, which has contributed towards the cost of materials.

Steve Craddock, Centre Manager at Battersea said: “Katie’s work really has been invaluable. Not only does the centre look nicer with all of the greenery, but the plants really benefit our animals.” “Coming to a new environment where there is so much going on can be very unsettling for dogs and cats, but the plants here really help to settle our animals and let them be themselves again. We’re so thankful for the generous support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, as none of this would be possible without them.”

Battersea centre has been running since 1860 and has rescued, reunited and rehomed more than 3.1 million dogs and cats. They help nearly 7,000 dogs and cats across its three centres.

To find out more about volunteering opportunities at Battersea please visit https://www.battersea.org.uk/support-us/volunteer