How we are managing the COVID-19 outbreak

Last updated: 19/07/2021

This is a live web page, we will continue to update the information here when we have information and updates to share.

As we begin to emerge from what has been a truly challenging time for us all, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you, our volunteers and our amazing staff for the continued support and to share with you our next steps.

Whilst restrictions have been eased in the UK this week (Monday 19th July), here at Bristol A.R.C. we'll be continuing with a cautious approach – our current safety procedures will remain in place for the benefit of not only our visitors, but also for our volunteers, staff and the animals in our care.

• Our volunteers and staff teams will continue to wear face masks where needed. We ask our visitors to do the same when inside and whilst moving about (unless you have an exemption).
• Hand sanitising stations will remain in place and we ask everyone to use them (staff, visitors and volunteers alike).
• We will be maintaining social distancing and ask all visitors to do so as well.

We want to maintain our current Covid safe environment so that we can continue to be here for the animals in our care, and to help keep all of us safe.

Thank you for your continued support - from all the team at Bristol A.R.C.

We are remaining as a closed site, operating our meet and greets and animal adoptions via our new appointment only system. You can find out more about our adoption process here.

We have remained here throughout this crisis for animals and people in need and we’re still here to help you and animals in need in any way we can. If you have questions or concerns please feel free to call us – visit our contact us page for our opening times and contact numbers.

As always, we thank you so much for your support throughout these challenging times, if you’re able to make a financial contribution today, however large or small, to help us to keep our animals safe, happy and healthy we’d be incredibly grateful. Click here to donate.

Please see the information below for details about how our services are operating:

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Below is a list of how our services are currently operating:

Animal Home:

• Animal adoption
  The animals in our care are added to our website when they are ready to find their new forever home, click here to see the animals ready and waiting to meet their perfect match. For information about our adoption process and to find our animal adoption forms please click here.
  
  
• Rehoming your pet
  If you need to give your pet up to be rehomed we are here to help, please click here for more details.
  
  
• Stray, unwanted and abandoned animals
  We continue to take in and care for stray, unwanted and abandoned animals, please visit our Help & Advice pages for further information.

Our Clinic:

• Injured and ill unwell stray animals and wildlife Our Clinic team can take in injured or unwell strays and wildlife. Please visit our Help and Advice pages for further information. For further details about the ways our Clinic team help animals and communities across Bristol please click here.
  
  
• Cat Microchipping
  We offer a free cat microchipping, click here for further details.
• Cat Neutering
  Our Clinic is currently offering a low-cost cat neutering service, to eligible cat owners who are on low incomes in the Bristol area, click here to find out more.
• Outreach Clinics
  We have started up our weekly outreach clinics in Lawrence Weston and Knowle West again, for further details please click here.

Events:

We are very much looking forward to our first Coffee Morning in July, and hope to be able to hold our Open Day in September. For details about our events, and others that we have in the calendar please click here. Please join us on our social media channels, if you haven’t already, to keep up to date with any virtual events and activities we have planned, plus of course updates about our events where we look forward to seeing you in person once more!

If you’d like to raise money for us by hosting your own fundraising event, or taking part in one of our challenges please click here. You’ll find lots of ideas plus contact details for our Fundraising team who would love to hear from you.

Offers of support, including foster homes and donations of items:

We’ve been truly touched by the offers of support from everyone over the past year, from offers of food and bedding to foster homes. But for now, we are not asking our supporters to donate food or other items or to take animals in for fostering. This is very much a live situation, and this information may change, if and when that does we will update the information on our website and social media to let you know. Thank you so much once again to each and every one of you for thinking of us at this time, it really does mean a lot to us, for those supporters that wish to make a financial donation, and are in a position to do so, you can do this by clicking here. This is the best way to help us right now as we continue to have our day to day running costs, and anticipate increased costs in the coming months as more animals than ever need our help and support.

Our staff team:

• We’ve made changes so that we can protect our front line staff team as best as we can, in order to continue to look after the animals that need our care. We have also implemented the recommendations of Public Health England across our Rescue Centre. All staff members are being extra diligent in terms of self-care and personal hygiene, and are encouraged to self-isolate and call 111 if they experience symptoms, get an alert from their track and trace app, or come into contact with anyone they know or suspect may have the virus.
  

Our volunteers:

• We are slowly starting to open up and welcome our Volunteers back in ‘waves’ to help us manage this in the safest way possible. Our Volunteer Coordinator will be in touch with all of our current volunteers to update you as we are able to bring back different volunteer roles. Volunteers are able to contact Eddie at any time – just email volunteering@bristolarc.org.uk and we’ll get right back to you. Do also keep an eye on our Volunteer page for updates and exciting new Volunteer roles!
  
  We are very grateful to everyone for their patience and understanding throughout the past year, and appreciate your on-going support as we adjust to our new way of working.