How We Started
Back in 2011, we ran a small Facebook group dedicated to lost and found pets. We did the usual thing of sharing posts, raising awareness and so on, but when our own cat, Dave, went missing, we realised that Facebook wasn't always enough - there was no way to easily create posters and leaflets, there was no centralised list of people and organizations to contact, and most importantly, not everyone in the world had Facebook.
Not wanting anyone else to go through the difficulties we were going through, we created Pet Search South East to put all these things in one place. Over the years the site has grown and we have added features like the ability to create custom posters and leaflets and a page where you can get lists of organizations in your area that can help you when looking for a lost pet, or if you find a pet you are concerned about. We did this so you don't have to worry about finding all the different resources while also worrying about your missing loved one. We then added a Rehoming section which is used by many of the local rescues to advertise pets that have come into their care that are looking for new homes. It is also a useful tool to see if you pet has been found and put up for adoption if they have not been microchipped.
Sadly, Dave is no longer with us, but thanks to him we have been using this site to help reunite people with their missing pets for well over a decade.
Our Garden Pens
As we got more involved in helping with lost and found animals, we learned that there were so many stray cats who didn't have anywhere to go because all the local rescues were full. Hearing this, we made the decision to start fostering. We have fostered for many rescues including the RSPCA and Cats Protection as well as many other local rescues. At first we began fostering cats in spare bedrooms, in bathrooms - anywhere you could fit a cat in need. However, we soon realised that we needed more room and in 2014 we had a set of custom pens built. These pens are spacious, heated, are located in a quiet area and look out over a peaceful garden. They come complete with toys, climbing towers, and everything a cat could want, providing comfort and space for cats in need while they wait for their forever home or to be reunited with their owners.
Over the years we have fostered and helped rehome more than 250 cats and have helped to reunite countless more. Amongst those we have had mums and kittens, three legged cats, blind cats, cats whose owners have gone into hospitals or care homes, cats in need of cage rest and even feral cats or cats on pallative care who lived out their lives with us until they peacefully passed away.
Our Fundraising and Charity Work
While we were fostering for all the different rescues, we raised money for them to help towards paying for food and litter for the cats in our care by making and selling amigarumi animals. This enabled the rescues to save the money they would have paid out on food and litter to pay towards cats' veterinary bills, so that they were rehomed fit and healthy.
Last winter, we made a batch of knitted coats for dogs belonging to homeless people to help keep them warm during the colder months. Hopefully we'll be able to keep crocheting throughout the year so as we have enough to donate to them again before the cold weather returns. Any donations of wool you could make would be very much appreciated, please email me at sue@petsearchsoutheast.co.uk or message me on Facebook if you have any to spare.
Where We Are Now
We currently support a local charity, Charlie Boys Angels, by providing space in our pens for the cats of homeless people while their owners are waiting for permanent accomodation. We take care of the animals while the charity works to find their owners a home, and provide a quiet and peaceful environment for the cats and for their owners to come and visit whenever they can. It's lovely to see the bond between them and to know we're doing our part to help them eventually be reunited. So that's our journey so far - it's been hard work and it's often heartbreaking but the knowledge that our efforts have helped so many animals over the years makes it all worthwhile.