Georgia O’Brien wins special recognition from RSPCA for animal care in LB Hounslow

Georgia has ‘enriched’ the lives of stray dogs

Animal Welfare Officer Georgia O’Brien has won special recognition from the RSPCA for her work with animals in the Borough of Hounslow.

“Having only been in her role for a year, she has already transformed enrichment for strays”, say the RSPCA, “created community roadshows, tackled XL Bully cases, executed complex Care Act interventions, and built partnerships across London.

“Georgia is a perfect example of inspiring early-career impact, and is setting a benchmark for excellence in animal welfare”.

She was ‘Highly Commended’ in the annual PawPrint awards, which the RSPCA organises to give recognition to people working in the field of animal welfare in local government.

Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to care for animals: looking after stray dogs, licensing animal activities, overseeing animal welfare and providing kennelling, but the awards celebrate those individuals who go above and beyond their duties to look after the animals in their care.

Andy Newnham – Senior Animal Welfare Officer at London Borough of Hounslow

LB Hounslow awarded for ‘consistently high standards’ in animal welfare

LB Hounslow picked up a number of awards – a Platinum award (the top award) for their kennelling service and Gold awards for most of the other core activities carried out by local councils: stray dog services, animal activity licensing – mainly for breeding and providing day care, and housing – integrating animal welfare considerations into housing policies and practices.

They also won the ‘Plus’ award – a new category introduced to recognise organisations that have achieved consistently high standards across multiple areas of animal welfare. They were the only local authority to be awarded in this category.

READ ALSO: Hounslow Council win gold in RSPCA awards (2024)

READ ALSO: Hounslow Council’s Animal Welfare Team wins multiple awards (2022)

Mike, who was rushed for emergency treatment after being dumped in an allotment while suffering from significant and painful eye injuries

Huge increase in need for animal welfare services in the borough

Councillor Pritam Grewal, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Customer Experience and Enforcement at Hounslow Council, said:

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to Georgia and the whole Animal Welfare Team for their tireless work for protecting animals in Hounslow, and I’m delighted to see their excellence recognised by one of the UK’s most prominent animal welfare organisations.

“This year, our team have risen admirably to the challenges presented by a 276% year-on-rise in the number of animals coming through our kennels. It’s testament to their dedication and hard work that in spite of this increased demand, they remain committed to delivering world-class animal welfare services.”

The team regularly deal with difficult cases involving mistreated or abandoned animals such as Mike (pictured), who was rushed for emergency treatment after being dumped in an allotment while suffering from significant and painful eye injuries, and recovered well in a foster home before being adopted.

In order to find loving and safe new homes for animals like Mike, the team work with animal rescues all over England, covering nearly 4000 miles rehoming stray animals in the last year alone.

Daily care for the dogs in the Council’s kennels includes walks, sensory stimulation through scent work, and activities like mystery boxes with treats hidden in various textures and smells.

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