Our Services

A cornerstone of our work at The Mayhew is our low cost vet service. We aim to provide specific treatments which work towards the long-term health of your dog, at a highly subsidised rate.

Our services include neutering and vaccinations (more on these below) and we also run a Nurses clinic by appointment only on a Thursday afternoon. This includes microchipping, general health checks, weight and diet advice, nail clipping and more. Please call 020 8969 0178 to enquire about an appointment. At various times through the year we extend our clinics beyond Thursdays, such as during National Pet Week in the first week of May. Please keep your eye on our website for updated information.

Please note that due to the large numbers of resident animals needing our care, our vets are not able to see outpatients animals. For all health concerns, please consult a private vet or a charity practice if you are eligible.

Neutering appointments are available Monday - Friday. Please call us on 020 8969 0178 to make an appointment, check prices, or ask for further information.

At The Mayhew, we offer Bull Breed Neutering free of charge and are grateful to the support of Animal Friends Insurance who contribute to the running of this scheme. Please note that to be eligible for the free Bull Breed neutering, your dog must have the physical characteristics of a Bull Breed. If your dog is not deemed to be a Bull Breed type you will be charged for the procedure and our Animal Care Managers decision is final on this subject.

The Mayhew Animal Home believe that neutering is one of the hallmarks of responsible pet ownership. Each year thousands of animals languish and die in rescue centres and pounds while further supply is created by owners who haven't had their pets neutered, as well as pet shops and so-called bedroom breeders. This unfortunate and unnecessary situation costs thousands of animals their lives every year and could so easily be stopped.

Neutering is a simple, quick and low risk operation and is performed on every animal adopted from The Mayhew Animal Home. As well as the obvious benefits of reducing the population of unwanted animals and the difficulty of dealing with unwanted litters of puppies, neutering can be extremely beneficial to your pet's health and behaviour.

Un-neutered animals face potentially life threatening diseases such as cancer of the reproductive organs, and potentially severe infections such as pyometra. Conditions such as these together with adolescent hormone related behavioural problems can be eliminated if neutering is performed at a young age.

The Mayhew Animal Home neuters from 12 weeks for dogs, making an assessment before the procedure in each case. We will not proceed with an early-age neuter if we believe the procedure to be detrimental to a dog's wellbeing and future development, and instead will wait until a later stage to neuter.

The Mayhew offers a low-cost Microchipping service. Call us on 020 8969 0178 to make an appointment for your dog, and hopefully alleviate some of the worries of wandering pets.

Thousands of dogs are lost each year in the UK and many never reunited with their owners due to having no identification. Microchipping is the safest way to ensure they can always get back to you when lost.

Microchipping is cheap, harmless, and takes seconds. A small chip (the size of a grain of rice) will be implanted into the back of your dog's neck with a unique number on it. This procedure will take place with them fully awake and is very similar to giving an injection, so dogs tolerate it incredibly well. The unique microchip number is then stored on a central database with your name and address details attached.

If your dog then gets lost and is found by a veterinary practice, rescue centre, dog warden or the police, your dog will be scanned and the microchip located. The organisation will then contact the microchip company, get your details, and give you a call to collect your dog.

For further peace of mind, the general public are unable to access this confidential database, only registered organisations with the necessary security clearance.

Vaccinating your dog is essential in protecting against diseases, some of which can be deadly. The Mayhew run low cost Vaccination clinics for all on Saturdays from 9.30am–12.30pm and Wednesday mornings 10am–11.45 am. Please call 020 8969 0178 to make an appointment.

Vaccinations are available to dogs over 8 weeks old and are a simple combination of two injections, 3-4 weeks apart, followed by yearly boosters. Once your dog has had its primary course of vaccinations you will be given a vaccination certificate showing your pet's details on it, the dates the vaccine was given and when a booster is due. This certificate is important if you are putting your dog into a boarding kennels and many will not accept your dog unless you can show an up to date certificate.

When puppies are born they receive some natural protection against disease from their mother's milk, however this protection is only temporary and declines in the first few weeks of a puppy's life, leaving them at risk of infection and disease. Your veterinary surgeon will vaccinate your puppy at around 9 and 12 weeks of age to counteract this, however the vaccines don't usually become effective until 7 to 14 days after both doses have been given. As such it's essential to keep your puppy away from both other dogs and places they might have been, to protect them from harm.

The main diseases that puppies and adult dogs can be vaccinated against are:

• Canine Parvovirus
• Canine Distemper
• Infectious Canine Hepatitis
• Leptospirosis
• Kennel Cough

Canine Parvovirus is a highly aggressive disease which attaches to the lining of the intestines causing serious, and often fatal, vomiting and diarrhoea. Treatment is limited and includes giving intravenous fluids and other supportive therapy. Young puppies and older or debilitated dogs are most affected and the condition often results in death.

Canine Distemper is a virus that attacks the gut, lungs and nervous system. Though relatively rare it is usually fatal.

Leptospirosis is transferrable to humans and whilst antibiotics can help to treat it, cases can often be fatal or cause lifelong damage to the kidneys. If your dog contracts Leptospirosis, you should seek advice from your GP.

Kennel Cough's most common symptoms are a dry, hacking cough followed by retching, and coughing up a white foamy discharge. Some dogs also develop conjunctivitis, an inflamed nasal mucous membrane and nasal discharge. In more severe cases, a dog can become feverish and possibly develop pneumonia, and in the extreme, Kennel Cough can be fatal. Vaccination is often a requirement of boarding kennels, as Kennel Cough is easily spread and can be serious in young or older dogs, or those who already have a weak immune system.

The Mayhew offer a Pet Refuge scheme where we may be able to help care for your dog if you are unable to for a limited period of time.

In order for us to consider you for this scheme you must live within the M25 and with the exception of genuine emergencies, you must give us a minimum of 2 weeks notice.

The Pet Refuge scheme is aimed at helping those who are admitted to hospital, have suffered domestic violence, have had a home damaged by fire or flood etc. We are only able to assist with eviction cases of dog owners who live within the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and in such a case it must be demonstrated that you are actively seeking permanent accommodation which allows dogs. If you do not meet any of the above mentioned criteria, please contact us for advice.

In all cases, our help is subject to us having adequate foster carers available and please note that there is a time limit that we consider fair for this scheme, as it can be an unsettling time for your pet.

Please call The Mayhew Animal Home on 020 8969 0178 for further information and advice.

The Mayhew would not be able to offer this service without our team of foster carers. Please see our dog fostering page if you might be able to offer a dog in need a temporary home.

The staff of The Mayhew Animal Home are non-judgemental and aim to offer advice, care for and rehome dogs that you can no longer care for, whatever the reason.

Please note that there are a large number of owners needing this type of support, but we will help or advise wherever we can. If you need us to take in your dog for rehoming please call us on 020 8969 0178. Please give us as much notice as possible and be aware that there is a waiting list.

Furthermore, we always try to assist people who feel they have too many animals to care for them adequately. If you know of anyone in difficulty, please contact us in confidence. We always want the best for animals and their carers, and will approach this often sensitive subject with delicacy and professionalism.

Regular grooming of your dog should be a part of your normal routine, in fact if they are very badly matted it may be necessary to seek veterinary advice. Prevention is better than cure and at The Mayhew we stock a wide variety of brushes and other grooming essentials to keep your dog's coat in pristine condition.

At the current time, we don't offer a full grooming service but we are happy to recommend groomers should your dog be in need. We also offer a free downloadable PDF of useful dog grooming advice produced by Mayhew Volunteer Amanda Bewlay-Robinson.

For finders of stray dogs, your local council has a legal obligation to provide a stray dog service and their details can be found in the phone book or on the internet. If the dog you've found is in a road or causing danger to the public, please contact the local police station.

Please call us for further advice if you are having any difficulty trying to get help and remember to put your own safety first when handling any animal, particularly if they are nervous.

Please call The Mayhew on 020 8969 0178 if you have lost or found an animal.

We also suggest that you contact the following organisations where applicable:

• The Missing Pet Bureau - 0870 1999 000
• Lost Dog Line - 01909 733 366 - www.doglost.co.uk
• Lost Dogs & Cats Line Battersea - 0901 477 8477 - calls charged at 60p per minute.
• Dog Warden Brent Council - 020 8937 5252
• Dog Warden Camden Council - 020 7388 5178
• Dog Warden Hammersmith & Fulham Council - 020 7371 1212
• Dog Warden Westminster Council - 020 7641 2000
• Dog Warden Kensington & Chelsea Council - 020 7341 5761
• Hedgehog Rescue - 020 8428 2235
• Pigeon Rescue - 020 8644 7349
• RSPCA 24 hour national cruelty and advice line - 0300 1234 999
• Royal Pigeon Racing Association - 01452 713 529

In addition it is a good idea to call local veterinary practices to report any animals you have lost or found. Lost animals may be injured, and local animals may be known to a nearby veterinary practice.

Please note, in the eyes of the law a dog is considered a piece of property. Finding, keeping and not reporting a dog is an offence.

Legal Services

The Mayhew Animal Home cannot directly assist with legal services for dogs, however further information on this subject can be found at www.doglaw.co.uk.