Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is one of the best-known animal sanctuaries in the world. Since it first opened its doors in 1860, millions of lost, abused and abandoned pets have benefited from its founder's promise that no dog or cat 'in any condition be, on any pretence whatever, refused admittance'. Around the world Battersea is a byword for compassion and hope. It hasn't always been this way. When the Home was first established, Victorian London had little time for the canine strays that routinely wandered its grimy streets; homeless dogs found on the pavements were routinely destroyed. During its early years the Home was threatened by financial crises, threats of eviction and legal action by neighbours upset by the constant barking. Then came rabies epidemics and the Blitz. Yet the Home not only survived, it thrived. Here is the story of this remarkable institution. It tells how the treatment of dogs and cats has evolved from Victorian times up to the present day.At its heart is the story of the remarkable characters who made Battersea what it is today, from the mysterious Mary Tealby, the remarkable founder of the Home, to Airedale Jack, the Battersea dog who became a hero in the trenches of the Great War. It is a book that will warm the hearts of animal lovers everywhere.