HMS Collingwood officers make new friends at local shelter

Animal-loving officers from HMS Collingwood recently volunteered some much-needed help at a local animal shelter.

Six trainees from the SEMC (System Engineering Management Course) travelled to the nearby RSPCA Stubbington Ark Animal Shelter and immediately set to work tackling some of the more challenging tasks. They began by thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the cat pods to allow more cats to be accepted by the shelter in future.

Rats had infested two outdoor storerooms that housed blankets and towels and so the team then began cleaning and re-organising the rooms to ensure they were vermin-free and the towels, blankets and sheets used by the Ark’s animals stayed clean and hygienic.

The Stubbington Ark not only rescues domestic and exotic pets but also farm animals and wildlife and one large field had been set aside for pigs which had made the ground extremely uneven and dangerous for staff members to traverse.

This was an issue since the wildlife area was at the far side of the field and staff needed to access this area after dark to care for rescued hedgehogs. The officers levelled out the field, which proved a mammoth task!

Finally the team met some of the Ark’s canine residents and took them for a welcome walk around the grounds, the staff there matching each team member with the most suitable dog.

Stephanie Cziczo, the Animal Centre Manager said of the team’s visit, “The guys were fantastic - the animal care team were so glad to have them here!  They walked over 6 dogs from B block alone - saving one staff member 2 hours of walking, so that she was able to do more training with the dogs that need it.

“Their help with the blanket shed was also much appreciated.  We have issues with rats building nests in that shed, so getting the blankets, sheets and towels organised neatly helps us to gather them more quickly and keep them off the floor and away from the rats.”