"Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is the best-known animal sanctuary in the world. Since it first opened its doors to dog owners 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. t 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. his is the story of this remarkable institution. On one level it tells how the treatment of the dogs and cats has evolved, and not always for the better. But at its heart is the story of the remarkable characters - both canine, feline and human - who made Battersea what it is today. From the mysterious Mary Tealby, the remarkable founder of the Home, to Ai