The Duchess of Sussex officially visited one of her new patronages this afternoon, the animal welfare charity Mayhew. She had already made several unofficial visits over the last few months and today she learned even more about the charity.
One of their successful schemes is Pet Refuge, which provides shelter and care for the pets of those people facing crises. The Duchess met with members of the community and their animals, who have benefitted from the work of Mayhew, including dog Roobarb, who has helped care home residents, and Wully Struthers, who used to be homeless, but pulled through tough times with his two dogs Azzy and Gallis.
It was perhaps also the very first time in her life that the Duchess has been called “fat.” One of the service users Meghan met quipped, “You’re such a fat lady!”, referencing the Duchess’s baby bump. The Duchess of Sussex took it in stride and laughed, “I’ll take it!” For the occasion, Meghan wore an Armani coat and H&M ‘Mama’ maternity dress.
Mayhew was set up in 1886 and since then has spearheaded initiatives designed to reduce the number of animals in need. Its main centre is in London but it also works around the UK and internationally with schemes in several countries including India and Afghanistan.
The charity’s work includes rehoming dogs and cats while a network of welfare officers rescue animals every day. They also visit homeless centres to ensure people’s pets, often their only companion, are kept healthy and can stay with their owners. All its work is centred on the links between animals and community welfare.
