Au revoir to Jude...and welcome back Henry!

Well, we all owe Jude a huge thank you for all her work, and wish her very success in her new job. Battersea Cats & Dogs Home is such a well-respected organisation and one which the RSPCA already has a very close relationship with, so everyone here is delighted that Jude’s considerable skills will continue to further the animal welfare cause.

As for me, well although I’ve been running the RSPCA Press Office since 2005, the last nine months have been spent on a sabbatical break away from work. I’ve had the incredible privilege of travelling around the world with my partner, and our trip included such diverse experiences as helping rehabilitate cheetahs in Namibia, swimming with wild dolphins in New Zealand and even working as a security guard at an elephant festival in Laos.

So returning to the world of emails, budgets and even the office printer has been a bit of a culture shock. But it’s also been a great opportunity to have a fresh look at what we do, and fantastic reminder of how much the RSPCA and all animal welfare charities do every single day.

So many people think the RSPCA is just about cats and dogs, but we work for all animals, and the range of work we do is vast.  In just the last couple of weeks, we’ve won a symbolic and powerful vote in the House of Commons on wild animals in circuses, and been on most of the front pages with the investigation into the deaths of two police dogs.

Coming back has also reminded me how hard-working and dedicated the RSPCA Press Office team are. I am so proud of them for many reasons, not least because on any given day they have to handle the most demanding of enquiries, and sometimes the most bizarre of questions.

The press office is possibly the only place where on any given day you’ll be dealing with stories about dumped guinea pigs, cat poisonings, baby bats, a drowned dog, baby seals, a stranded gannet, and some lost cows – all at the same time.

I still remember my first day in the press office... and a journalist called up demanding to know what we thought of “cheetah-friendly beef from Namibia”. I can’t remember what I told him, but at least six years later I can say I’ve been there, and now I know the answer!

Henry Macaulay, head of press at the RSPCA