Rescue dogs from leading animal welfare charity, Battersea, set off for an afternoon of adventures with women’s community group, the Lonely Girls Club, on a joint walk to help combat loneliness and celebrate rescue.
Battersea’s dedicated staff put on their trainers, packed up their tennis balls and headed off to Battersea Park on Saturday 7th September with rescue dogs at their side, for a special walk and to ensure they are used to new places and experiences before finding their new homes.
The charity’s dogs walked alongside members of the Lonely Girls Club community, offering a unique opportunity for local women to meet animals from Battersea and find out more about rescue while connecting with people living in London and making new friends – both human and canine. Throughout the walk, the much-loved charity’s canine residents enjoyed stretching their legs and did plenty of sniffing, playing and exploring to their heart’s content, all in the name of rescue.
Rebecca Verne, Centre Manager at Battersea, said: “Our dogs had a great time exploring in the park and meeting community members from the Lonely Girls Club for a sunny afternoon stroll to celebrate Battersea’s Wear Blue for Rescue, which is taking place throughout September. Getting out in nature is important not only for our wellbeing as humans, but is also a vital part of keeping dogs happy, healthy and active.
“Expert care is at the heart of what we do here at Battersea, and what better way to keep our dogs' minds and bodies active than by walking alongside members of our local community to champion rescue and combat loneliness in the city. We encourage anyone that can to get outside with their dog and enjoy the physical and mental benefits it brings, whether it’s for Battersea’s Walk for Rescue or simply a trip to the local park to stretch your legs.”
Recent research from Battersea found that 32% of UK adults surveyed wanted to get a pet to stop them from being lonely, while 24% of those surveyed said that they wanted a pet to get them out walking more.
Holly Cooke, Founder of the Lonely Girls Club, said: “We loved teaming up with Battersea for our September walk club for our London branch. It was the most wholesome morning filled with so much laughter, friendship and new dog friends too! We find our monthly walks are always the loveliest way for our community members to get their steps in, meet new people, get out into nature and beat some of the loneliness they might be feeling, and teaming up with Battersea this month made this even more special and brought even more smiles thanks to their team and adorable canine residents.”
This September, Battersea is celebrating ‘Wear Blue for Rescue’, a chance to show love for rescue dogs and cats who really need a second chance in life, both here in the UK and around the world.
To support Battersea and find out more, get involved by visiting Battersea's website or by searching ‘Wear Blue for Rescue’ #WearBlueforRescue.
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For further information, images or interviews please contact press@battersea.org.uk.
Notes to editors
- At Battersea we offer our love and expert care to dogs and cats who need us by rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals at our centres, and by sharing our knowledge and resources with rescue organisations around the world. We do this because we want to help every dog and cat, everywhere.
- In 2023 Battersea directly cared for 2,529 dogs and 2,450 cats at our three centres. We also helped thousands more through campaigning work, supporting other rescues and animal welfare advocates, and sharing knowledge and advice with pet owners.
- Battersea has three centres based in London; Old Windsor, Berkshire; and Brands Hatch, Kent.
- To find out more visit our website or follow Battersea on X @battersea_, Instagram @battersea or facebook.com/Battersea.
About the Lonely Girls Club
- The Lonely Girls Club is the community helping women connect, make friends and make life less lonely. The Lonely Girls Club is one of the UK's largest communities for women with over 100k community members across 4 branches in London, Manchester, Nottingham & Birmingham.
- The Lonely Girls Club has digital forums, a newsletter and weekly events running across the UK, all focused on the mission to help women make friends, have fun and find support!
- To find out more, visit the Lonely Girls Club website or their Instagram.