All clients Important – Hot Weather Warning

If you have a routine appointment booked in with us early next week, please take into account the extreme weather warnings that have been announced 😮 If your pet finds the vets stressful or is a breed at greater risk of heat stroke then please consider phoning us to re-arrange your appointment 😊 Please also consider your transport to the vets as walking won’t be an option! and dogs can die in hot cars. https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/health/hotwalks

Re-ordering prescriptions

As we approach the six weeks school period, we are urging our clients to contact us to arrange for their pets to have sufficient medication to cover from now until the beginning of September.  This is due to limited availability of our vet surgeons during this period.

Thank you for your support

Vet Surgeon Vacancies

Due to an increase in demand our branch now has vacancies for qualified locum vets to enable us to expand our opening hours during the week.  If you are a qualified veterinary surgeon and interest in working for us, please e-mail our Clinic Manager elaine.packer@rspcastortvalley.org.uk stating what hours you are available.  Thank you.

Current volunteer vacancies

We have a volunteer vacancies for a receptionist and vet assistant at our Clinic in Harlow, and sales assistants at our Charity Shop in Bishops Stortford.   If you are passionate about animal welfare, over 18, have time spare and experience in dealing with the public, then we would like to hear from you.

Drop us a e-mail to admin@rspcastortvalley.org.uk if you are interested in becoming a volunteer for our branch.

April 2022

Donate as you shop

Did you know that whenever you buy anything online – from your weekly shop to your annual holiday – you could be raising free donations for RSPCA Stort Valley with easyfundraising?

There are over 4,000 shops and sites on board ready to make a donation – including eBay, Argos, John Lewis, ASOS, Booking.com and M&S – and it won’t cost you a penny extra to help us raise funds.

All you need to do is:

1. Go to https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/rspcastortvalley/?utm_campaign=raise-more and join for free.

2. Every time you shop online, go to easyfundraising first to find the site you want and start shopping.

3. After you’ve checked out, the retailer will make a donation to RSPCA Stort Valley at no extra cost to you whatsoever!

There are no catches or hidden charges and RSPCA Stort Valley will be really grateful for your donations.

Thank you for your support.

Pet Food Donations

As our clinic does not have facilities to take in unwanted pets or abandoned animals, if you have any unwanted pet food, there are many families who need help and support with their pets.  To donate pet food, please contact you local foodbank or visit https://harlow.foodbank.org.uk 

Thank you.

January 2020

Volunteer Shop Assistant

If you’re looking to build up your work experience, enhance your CV, gain a new reference, meet new people or just do what you can to help out a local charity, why not consider volunteering with us at the RSPCA Charity Shop in Bishop’s Stortford?

We’re looking for volunteers to help out for at least one morning or afternoon a week (of course you’re always welcome to do more!) in our new premises at 2, The Dells, Bishops Stortford.

You’ll be able to explore and develop your skills and help in a way that suits your interests and talents, whether you’re into visual merchandising, organisation, customer service or rifling through donations in search of stylish key pieces to highlight.

All training will be provided.

Commitment is flexible. Happy to accept seasonal or temp volunteers based on college or university holidays/parents who are only able to help in term time, etc.

Volunteers must be 18 or over.

For further details or if you have any questions, please email volunteer@rspcastortvalley.org.uk

October 2019

Veterinary Assistant Volunteer Opportunity

We are looking for a volunteer vet assistant to help in our busy clinic based in Harlow.

This role involves helping the vet during consult by holding animals, cleaning up and assisting where necessary. You do not have to have previous experience as all training will be given but a basic knowledge of computing is needed.

This is a volunteer role required for Tuesday afternoons initially, but free to help cover other volunteers during holiday periods.

If you would like to apply for the role please email recruitment@rspcastortvalley.org.uk

May 2019

Summer Clothing now on sale

As we move into the summer, we are changing over our stock at our Charity Shop, 2 The Dells, Bishops Stortford, please come and visit us.

We sell all kinds of interesting items, including designer and high-end ladies and men’s clothing and footwear, children’s clothing and great bric-a-brac.  Please pop along and say Hello and grab yourself a bargain.

The sales from our Charity Shop help us to raise funds to provide veterinary services at our clinic in Harlow.  We also have an online e-bay shop and have recently started selling on Vintage.

We look forward to seeing you at the shop or online.

The shop is also currently looking for volunteers to help with sorting and processing donations and helping our lovely customers.  If you are interested in applying, please email us at volunteer@rspcastortvalley.org.uk.

July 2016

Homeward bound! RSPCA reunites dog with owners after NINE years

A dog from Braintree, Essex was reunited with his family last Friday (26 June) – nine years after going missing – after being handed into an RSPCA branch 30 miles away

Thanks to the RSPCA Stort Valley branch staff, 13 year-old Jack Russell terrier Foster, is now back in his own bed after he was stolen near to his home in White Notley, Foster’s delighted owner Kelly Twin said: “It’s just amazing to have him home. We had given up hope and can’t quite believe he’s back. “But for him, it’s like he never went away, he’s settled back in perfectly.”

Staff at RSPCA Stort Valley branch in Harlow took little Foster in their care on Friday 17 June after he was brought in by neighbours of a lady who had sadly recently died. It is thought that the lady had owned Foster for several years, not knowing that he had been stolen during a break in to a family home several years previously.

The neighbours who took Foster to the RSPCA Stort Valley branch told staff that he was microchipped, and then to limit stress, Foster was taken into a temporary foster home straight away.

RSPCA Stort Valley branch staff member Marion Wellsman said: “All we knew was that Foster had come in after his owner had passed away, we didn’t have any reason to think there was any more to it. He was due to come back into the branch for a health check so it wasn’t until a week later that we scanned his microchip to have the details changed, and discovered that he was actually chipped to another address, and had been reported as stolen!” Marion added: “Kelly and her family were overwhelmed when I called them to tell them we had Foster in our care, it was a lovely call to make. Foster is a dear old chap and we are delighted he has made his way back to his owners.”

Foster has settled back into family life with no trouble whatsoever, and has even made a new best friend. Kelly said: “We have another dog Marmite who we got a a year after Foster was stolen. The two are the best of friends already, it’s lovely to see. “Foster was also really pleased to see my 10 year old daughter, Daisy (pictured above with Foster and Marmite.) She was almost two when he went missing and as soon as he saw her her was sniffing around her and was so excited. I really can’t believe it all, it’s a dream come true.”

Since April 6th this year, it is now a legal requirement for dogs to be microchipped.

Kelly added: “Foster’s story really proves just why it is so important for dogs to be microchipped – in our case, that little tiny chip reunited us with our little dog, something we thought would never happen.”