A Dog's Tale: How Battersea found a home for Alice

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home is marking its 150th anniversary this year.

Since its foundation, the Home has provided sanctuary for more than 3m animals, giving a temporary home to more than 10,000 dogs and almost 3,500 cats in 2009.

Unlike many other facilities for strays, Battersea looks after its charges until someone else offers them a home.

At any one time the organisation has about 600 dogs and 200 cats across its three sites, with the average stay for an animal being just under a month.

Jane Hill tells the story of Alice, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, as she met her new family for the first time.