An animal welfare conference organised by Cats Protection has attracted the highest attendance in the conference’s history.

The twelfth Association of Dogs and Cats Homes Conference took place on 14-15 March at the Copthorne Hotel in Effingham, Gatwick, Sussex, close to Cats Protection’s National Cat Centre in Chelwood Gate, and attracted over 320 delegates.

The ADCH brings together dog and cat welfare organisations, including Cats Protection, to share best practice and further improve the help given to over 250,000 unwanted animals in the UK. During the conference, delegates heard presentations on a range of issues such as animal hoarding and abandonment, alongside talks on fundraising, the law and digital communications.

Nick Edmans, Cats Protection’s Director of Communications said: “As a member of the ADCH, Cats Protection works closely with other charities and organisations to improve the prospects and welfare of unwanted cats, so we were pleased to host this year’s conference and thrilled to see so many delegates attend from a range of cat and dog charities across the UK.

“I’d like to thank the sponsors, trade exhibitors and delegates for helping to make this the biggest ADCH conference yet, and hope they found the presentations interesting and thought-provoking. Ultimately, the ideas shared at the conference will help to improve the skills and knowledge of ADCH members, and improve the care and adoption of unwanted cats and dogs.”

The ADCH Conference is held on an annual basis, and next year’s conference will be hosted by the Kennel Club. Membership of the ADCH is open to charities and not for profit organisations of all sizes, regardless of scale and turnover. For further information, please visit www.adch.org.uk

Cats Protection is the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and helps over 230,000 cats and kittens each year through a national network of 257 volunteer-run branches and 30 adoption centres. The charity’s vision is a world where every cat is treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs.

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For media queries, please contact Cats Protection’s Media Office on media.office@cats.org.uk or 01825 741 911

Notes to Editors
1. For photos from the conference, please contact the Media Office as above
2. Cats Protection’s registered charity number is 203644 (England and Wales) and SC037711 (Scotland). Founded as the Cats Protection League in 1927, the charity adopted the name Cats Protection in 1998. We ask that you use the name Cats Protection when referring to the charity in all published material.
3. The ADCH promotes best practice in animal welfare for dogs and cats. Our members are dedicated to dog rescue and cat rescue. Our priority is to ensure that rescue dogs and cats get the best possible chance of new loving and caring homes. This year’s ADCH Conference was sponsored by Petplan, Petlog, CEVA, Medichem International and Norbrook