Coronavirus Update - Important Message From Our Trustees
AN UPDATE FROM OUR TRUSTEES – JULY 2021
With COVID-19 restrictions now lifted, WARS is now fully open to the public, however, our intake and rehoming procedures will continue as appointment-only.
Visitors are welcome during our regular, daily opening times of 11am to 3pm and our shelter shop is fully open too. We have restricted the number of people we can have in our reception area at any one time to 4 and ask that you sanitise your hands on entering. Whilst the wearing of a face covering is no longer mandatory, we would politely request that you continue to wear a mask when inside our building to help continue to keep our staff and volunteer teams safe. We are delighted to be moving forwards with getting back to ‘normal’ but it is important to us that we do this safely.
Thank you for your loyal support over what has been an incredibly challenging time for all. We are looking forward to re-starting our fundraising activities in the not too distant future and seeing you all back at the shelter very soon, keep an eye on our website and social media for more information. In the meantime, if you are interested in rehoming one of our animals, please telephone the shelter in the first instance, likewise, if you are in need of our help to rehome your pet, please call us to discuss and we will do our best to support.
Take care and stay safe.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM OUR TRUSTEES 06/01/2021
In light of the recent Government announcement regarding COVID-19, the Trustees have reviewed Shelter operations and we must once again change the way in which we operate during this new lockdown period. With immediate effect, the shelter is closed to ‘walk-ins’ and is ONLY accessible for staff and inducted volunteers (by previous arrangement). Our absolute priority continues to be the health, safety and welfare of our staff and of our animals currently resident with us as well as being able to continue to provide the highest quality of care and attention to our animals in a safe environment.
If you are interested in rehoming one of our animals, please telephone the shelter in the first instance, likewise, if you are in need of our help to rehome your pet, please call us to discuss and we will do our best to support. If you have any questions or concerns, or are unsure whether you should still try and come to the Shelter, you can email us at info@wars.org.uk or call us on 01905 831651.
We thank you in advance for your co-operation, understanding and patience during this difficult time.
Stay safe.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM OUR TRUSTEES 04/11/20
Further to the Government’s announcement on Saturday 31st October 2020, the Trustees advise that WARS will close to the public on Thursday 5th November with access for staff only. We are hopeful of being able to re-open on Wednesday 2nd December but will review the situation further as and when guidance is available. Our staff and volunteers continue to work hard at the Shelter to keep our animals happy and healthy whilst waiting for their forever homes, their welfare continues to be our primary focus. If you have already expressed an interest in a specific animal, one of our staff team with be in touch to discuss your interest and the next steps in our rehoming process during this further period of lockdown. If you have any questions or concerns, or are unsure whether you should still try and come to the Shelter, you can email us at info@wars.org.uk or call us on 01905 831651.
If you are a current inducted volunteer, you are welcome to continue to volunteer to help us on site. Please contact the shelter for more details on how this process is being run
We thank you in advance for your co-operation, understanding and patience during this unprecedented time.
Stay safe.
AN UPDATE FROM OUR TRUSTEES 3/9/2020
Further to our communication of 03/06/2020, the Trustees have reviewed the situation concerning the Shelter and WARS will open its gates on 7 September 2020, however, this will be solely for people wishing to purchase items from our Shop. Unfortunately viewing of our dogs and cats is to continue an “appointment only” basis.
Obviously, the lockdown has had a devastating affect on our fundraising with most of our events having to be cancelled, therefore, to be in a position to open the Shop is excellent news.
Restrictions obviously will need to be in place as follows in order that we are working within Government Guidelines :-
· A one-way system introduced to enter and exit the building
· Only two people allowed in the Shop at any one time
· Face masks to be worn when inside the building at all times
· Hand sanitisers and signage will be in place
· Ask all visitors to complete a Track and Trace form
The Trustees will continue to monitor the situation adhering to Government Guidelines as they develop and will communicate our decisions to you via our website and social media. As always, our priority is the health, safety and welfare of our staff and of our animals during this difficult time and we thank you for your continued co-operation, patience and understanding. Stay safe and take good care.
AN UPDATE FROM OUR TRUSTEES 03/06/2020
Further to our communication of 13/05/20, the Trustees have reviewed the situation concerning the shelter and WARS will continue to be closed to the public with access for staff only. We will, however, now start to rehome our current residents and in order for us to do this in a safe and structured manner, visits to the shelter to facilitate meets with our animals will be by invitation only. If you have already expressed an interest in a specific animal, one of our staff team with be in touch to discuss your interest and the next steps in our revised rehoming process.
We have also taken the decision to cancel all WARS hosted fundraising workshops and events up to and including the end of August 2020 when we will again review the situation. In the meantime, we will move what events we can online so you can still take part and support us from the comfort of your own home. We’re looking forward to another quiz night tomorrow and our first ever online Pet Show that starts this Sunday, do join us!
It is hoped we can further continue a phased reopening of the shelter, in line with government guidelines, and the Trustees will continue to monitor the situation and communicate our decisions to you via our website and social media. As always, our priority is the health, safety and welfare of our staff and of our animals during this difficult time and we thank you for your continued co-operation, patience and understanding. Stay safe and take good care.
AN UPDATE FROM OUR TRUSTEES 13/05/2020
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on Sunday evening, the Trustees have reviewed the situation concerning the shelter and WARS will continue with the operational changes implemented in March, for the time being. This means that the shelter again remains accessible for staff ONLY with no visitors or volunteers permitted on-site. Our absolute priority continues to be the health, safety and welfare of our staff and of our animals currently resident with us and these restrictions mean we can continue to provide the highest quality of care and attention to our animals in a safe environment.
We will review the situation again at the end of May when it is hoped we can re-commence the rehoming of our animals in a safe and structured way. In the meantime, there are other ways in which you can support us during this difficult time, please do keep an eye on our website and social media for details of fun activities you can join in with online.
On behalf of the Trustees and the staff team here at WARS, we thank you for your continued support, co-operation and understanding. Stay safe and take good care.
AN UPDATE FROM OUR TRUSTEES 17/04/2020
Following the Governments’ announcement yesterday, WARS will continue with the operational changes implemented in March, for a further 3 weeks. This means that the shelter remains accessible for staff ONLY with no visitors or volunteers permitted on-site. Our absolute priority continues to be the health, safety and welfare of our staff and of our animals currently resident with us and these restrictions mean we can continue to provide the highest quality of care and attention to our animals in a safe environment.
Sadly, we have made the decision to cancel all fundraising and workshop events throughout May and June. We are devastated to have to cancel our hugely popular Dog Show on 7th June but we believe it is the right thing to do at this time. We are hopeful that September’s Dog Show will continue as planned, we will constantly review the situation and advise as necessary, when we are able. In the meantime, there are other ways in which you can support us during this difficult time, please do keep an eye on our website and social media for details.
On behalf of the Trustees and the staff team here at WARS, we thank you for your continued support, co-operation and understanding. Stay safe and take good care.
AN UPDATE FROM OUR TRUSTEES 24/03/20
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement last night, we need to temporarily change the way we do things in the short term. Our absolute priority is the health, safety and welfare of our staff and of our animals currently resident with us. With immediate effect the Shelter is accessible for staff ONLY, this means no visitors or volunteers are permitted on-site for the next 3 weeks. This will enable us to provide the highest quality of care and attention to our animals in a safe environment. We continue to adhere to the Government’s guidelines in respect of hand washing and social distancing within our staff team and we have operational plans in place for their safety. We will constantly review the situation and advise as necessary, when we are able. In the meantime, we thank you for your continued support, co-operation and understanding during this difficult time. Stay safe and take good care.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM OUR TRUSTEES 17/03/2020
In light of the recent Government guidelines regarding Coronavirus, the Trustees have reviewed Shelter operations and the following changes will come in to effect from 3pm today, Tuesday 17th March 2020, until further notice.
The health and safety of our staff, volunteers and visitors alongside the welfare of our animals remains our top priority. From 3pm today, the Shelter will be closed to ‘walk-ins’ and we will be operating an ‘appointment only’ system. Previously booked rehoming and perfect fit appointments will still be honoured and we ask that you call to confirm your appointment as soon as possible. Our residents will continue to receive high level care and are available for rehoming, should you wish to visit a specific animal with a view to offering a forever home, please call the shelter to book an appointment. Likewise, if you are in need of our help to rehome your pet, please call us to discuss and we will do our best to support. If you are offered an appointment, please ensure you arrive on time, this will assist with the smooth running of the Shelter during this difficult time along with ensuring you receive the usual high standard of customer service throughout your visit.
It is with regret that we must temporarily close our Shelter shop, postpone our AGM and cancel all fundraising events and workshops from now until the end of April. This will be reviewed regularly and a further communication will be circulated as and when we are able to update you. Our staff and volunteers continue to work hard at the Shelter to keep our animals happy and healthy whilst waiting for their forever homes, their welfare continues to be our primary focus. We will still be active online with fundraisers and information about our animals available for rehoming, so any support you can offer in sharing our posts would be gratefully received.
We will continue to monitor the situation and adhere to Government guidelines as they develop. If you have any questions or concerns, or are unsure whether you should still try and come to the Shelter, you can email us at info@wars.org.uk or call us on 01905 831651.
We thank you in advance for your co-operation, understanding and patience during this unprecedented time.
Stay safe.
