What is the Willows?

The Willows cat shelter helps approximately 350 stray, abandoned,sick and injured animals each year.

The Willows cat shelter is run by Maria Harrison and a team of volunteers around the region. We rely entirely on voluntary contributions from people like YOU! Without support our shelter could close and many lovely animals would have no chance of a future. Animals are so precious to those us who love and adore them. Sadly,thousands are neglected, abused and abandoned on our own doorsteps. The Willows intervenes into thelives of many sad animals and gives them a new and happy lease of life.

The shelter has has many articles writen about it in the local papers. Here is one such story for you taken from the "Shields Gazette":

Pet Cat is left all alone

ALBERT the elderly moggie is on the prowl for a new home. The owner of the gentle 11-year-old recently died and a West Boldon animal shelter wants to find the cat a quiet, loving home. Maria Harison, of the Willows shelter, explained it can be difficult finding a new place for older pussies.

"Lots of older people's cats are nervous and don't go to strangers. And everyone wants a kitten or young cat."

"Shelters can't usually give room to older cats - we have to think of the room we need for the younger ones."

"But we squeezed him in by the skin of his teeth and  he's adorable. "A lot of people who are elderly think they can't take on a cat because it might outlive them, so the perfect answer is to take on an older animal."
"We'd love someone to offer a last chance to Albert," Maria added.

So now you know what we're all about have a look round the rest of our pages.