From chasing chickens down the street to nursing emaciated dogs, it's all in a day's work for one animal charity.

This month marks the 20th anniversary of animal charity Anim-Mates, which made its start back in August 2002.

The charity was founded after friends Teresa Bloomfield and Su Mercer rescued an elderly cat that needed veterinary treatment on August 6, 2002.

Inspired by their success, they joined forces with their friend Silvana Locke to start fostering unwanted animals in their own homes.

In their first year alone, they cared for more than 200 animals, 139 of which went onto vetted homes to begin their new lives.

Any animals they were unable to re-home would be looked after by the charity for the rest of their lives.

By the time Anim-Mates had been running for seven years, Su had retired to the country and Silvana had gone on to manage a cat sanctuary. Teresa decided to carry on, running everything.

The number of abandoned and in-need animals was growing, so Teresa and her husband Steve decided to move from her semi-detached house in Lee, near Lewisham, to a detached house in St Mary Hoo, taking with them 21 cats, four dogs, a rabbit, a number of ponies and some feral cats.

The home came with two acres of land which included four stables, a tack room, a feed barn, three paddocks and a dog yard, enabling them take in more animals.

Despite all the extra space, demand for their help was high and they still had to rent extra land to make room for even more.

They remained at these headquarters for eight years, and are now at a 10-acre site at Olivers Farm, in Ash, where they currently operate.

Behind them is an army of supporters and volunteers.

Teresa said: "It's incredible to see how far Anim-Mates has come.

"Around 300 animals have joined our Care for Life scheme and we continue to provide a permanent home to this day for dozens of horses, ponies, cats, dogs, guinea pigs, goats, geese, chickens, turkeys, ducks and pigs.

"What started as a tiny local group has blossomed and we now have many hundreds of people supporting us, including adopters, donors, and a loyal band of volunteers – helpers, fosterers, home-checkers and fundraisers – without whom none of what we do would be possible.

"It never ceases to amaze me how generous and kind people are, or how hard they work to raise funds for us. Our volunteers even decline to claim all of the out-of-pocket expenses they incur on our behalf, which they are more than entitled to, in order to help prop us up as much as they can."

Anim-Mates has cared for more than 3,000 animals – 2,600 of which have been re-homed. Here are some memorable mentions from over the years...

Little Willy

Little Willy, who was born with deformed legs, became Anim-Mates' first mascot in 2002. He was named Willy Wonka because of his wonky walk.

Vets initially suggested he be put down, however Teresa disagreed and took him in.

In order to give him the best chance possible, she kept him within the charity in their Care for Life scheme, and he lived a happy life up to the age of 17.

He was well loved by supporters, and every year on his birthday he would get sent fan mail, often with cheques to buy him some birthday treats.

Emaciated Penny

Emaciated Penny was found on a cold evening around a busy M2 service station in 2013, and taken to a pet hospital where she was treated for several injuries.

She was then transferred to a pound, who were persuaded to allow Penny to move to Anim-Mates.

Penny was eventually adopted into her new home.

Oliver the miracle stray

The charity took in Oliver in 2015, who was a critically-injured stray cat. He had a shattered jaw, a ripped lower lip and a severe infection.

He underwent a number of surgeries, had to have his jaw wired together and a feeding tube put in, as well as an additional tube fitted sideways through his jaw for medical treatment.

A month after his surgery, he had his feeding tube removed and he was able to start eating liquidised food.

His fight for survival received press coverage, and the charity received almost 200 donations totalling £3,000 to help with his vet bills.

The miracle cat went on to his forever home two months after his surgery.

Floyd the dumped puppy

Floyd was found cold and shivering in a bush by the road after being dumped in 2018. The puppy was severely malnourished, matted and covered in fleas and lice.

At only five months old, he was unable to straighten his back and dragged his legs behind him when he tried to walk.

After a number of operations, and regular hydrotherapy and physio sessions, he made huge progress and is now the charity's mascot.

He is a permanent Anim-Mates resident and now spends his time playing with other rescue dogs around the farm.

Chloe the crazy chicken

Volunteers Lisa Inns and Abigail Newman had to chase stray hen Chloe up Chatham High Street in 2021.

Lisa said: "Never in my dreams did I think I'd be in my pyjamas chasing a chicken up Chatham High Street and into the multi-storey car park.

"It wasn't easy to catch her and she was making so much noise that a group of lads came into the car park to see if we were OK."

Chloe, who was named after the woman who reported her, was never claimed and now lives at the sanctuary alongside the other hens.

She hasn't attempted another great escape – yet.

The charity is looking forward to the next 20 years, and hopes to make a difference to as many animals as possible.

Teresa said: "We rely so much on our wonderful supporters. Our heartfelt thanks to you all."