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This month, during Free Wills Month, we are launching a free, will writing service in partnership with expert will writers, Guardian Angel. Legacies from supporters are a vital source of funds for Bath Cats and Dogs Home and help us provide safe space for around 800 animals a year.
The aim of this new free service is to help you organise or update your will. It takes around fifteen minutes to draft a will before it is sent to Guardian Angel’s legal experts to be checked for accuracy. Alternatively, Harris & Harris Solicitors in Frome have a discounted, in person will writing service available to Bath Cats and Dogs Home supporters and The Goodwill Partnership offer both an online and in-person service.
» Click here to find out more about our offers for writing a will
Gifts in wills received by Bath Cats and Dogs Home help us to plan for the future as well as fund our ongoing animal welfare work to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome cats and dogs across Bath and North-East Somerset and west Wiltshire. There is no obligation for people using the service to make a gift to the rehoming centre, but anyone using the free will service can consider supporting Bath Cats and Dogs Home if they wish and help them care for future generations of rescue cats and dogs.
Speaking of why she left a gift in her will to Bath Cats and Dogs Home, long term supporter and trustee, Sarah said:
“I’ve been a supporter of the centre for over five years now since we adopted our first cat, Teddy, from them in 2018 and Gimli, in 2020. I’m proud that I’ve left a gift to Bath Cats & Dogs Home in my will, knowing it will help vulnerable cats and dogs in the future. The difference that the Home makes in the lives of animals is outstanding, but for it to continue, they need funds. Even a small gift can make such an impact, and it’s something simple I can do to help animals have a second chance at love.”
In the past, gifts in wills have helped Bath Cats and Dogs Home to fund the construction of vital new buildings to house rescue animals such as the Roy Hulbert kennel block. Legacies also help the charity to fund more expert staff such as animal carers, animal behaviourists, rehomers and veterinary specialists as well as the little things like new beds, blankets, toys and treats that make a rescue cat or dog’s stay more comfortable and stress-free.
Gifts in wills enable our charity to be prepared for changes such as the increased operational costs caused by the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis or a sudden increase in the number of kittens and puppies born at the Home which require around-the-clock care.
Last year the cost-of-living crisis meant that the Home saw the highest number of rescue cats and dogs arriving since 2019 with an intake of almost 800 vulnerable animals. The Home saw a shocking 121% increase in stray and abandoned dogs in 2022 with similar numbers expected this year.
Rachel Jones, Chief Executive at Bath Cats and Dogs Home said: “We are so grateful for every gift we receive in wills, whatever the size, each gift makes such a difference to the rescue and rehoming of cats and dogs. Knowing in advance about gifts coming in, helps us plan and be prepared for rising demand for our rescue services such as we’ve seen in the last three years. If you’re thinking of leaving a gift in your will to a local charity, after taking care of your family, please consider Bath Cats and Dogs Home and help support future generations of rescue animals.”
» Click here to find out more about our offers for writing a will