Helping hand
You might think that you can only help animals on your doorstep, but as Donna Ross discovers, there are hundreds of pets across the country you can give a new home to
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THERE are a number of organisations across the country on the lookout for help from animal lovers.
The fact they are not in the area you live in shouldn’t put you off – a Stonehaven woman recently rehomed a cat from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in England, and a St Andrew’s man adopted a Merseyside dog.
Here, we take a look at centres in Scotland looking for assistance.
RETIRED GREYHOUND TRUST (RGT)
The Retired Greyhound Trust was founded in 1975 and is the only UK charity of its kind dedicated to finding homes for ex-racers once their days pounding the tracks are over.
Some 10,000 greyhounds retire from the track every year and often need to be rehomed. Although Britain is a nation of dog lovers, greyhounds are often overlooked as pets.
To celebrate the third annual International Day of the Dog on Sunday, April 27, the trust is urging dog lovers everywhere to “take the lead” and adopt a retired greyhound.
Amanda Ainsworth, national rehoming co-ordinator for the RGT, said: “Sadly, greyhounds are often rebuffed as family pets because they’re all too often seen only as racing dogs and are believed to be boisterous and wild. This couldn’t be further from the reality. Greyhounds make fantastic domestic pets; they’re great with children and other animals.
“International Day of the Dog is the perfect time to get involved with your local branch of the RGT. If you’re not in a position to adopt a greyhound, we are always on the lookout for volunteers who would like to help out at the kennels. Or perhaps you can assist on a wider scale and organise a charity walk for example. The greyhounds love getting out and about and, because they are naturally docile and loving dogs, a sponsored walk is the perfect way to do your bit for the charity.”
Contact the RGT on 0844 826 8424. To find out more about your local branch, see www.retiredgrey hounds.co.uk
THE DOGS TRUST
The Dogs Trust is one of the UK’s largest dog welfare charities with 17 rehoming centres across the UK.
Dogs Trust cares for more than 16,000 stray and abandoned dogs every year.
Jill, a nine-year-old Belgium Shepherd, was given a new home recently by someone who was prepared to go the extra mile for her.
Jill was posted as a “sticky dog” on Dogs Trust’s website because, despite its efforts, it could not find a suitable home for her. Then her new owner, John Howart, saw her online.
Mr Howart, from St Andrews, travelled to the Merseyside branch, some 280 miles, to meet Jill and make sure she liked him and as much as he liked her before eventually taking her home.
Jill matched Mr Howart’s doggy wish list perfectly. He had lost a similar dog recently and was determined to rehome an older dog that may have been overlooked by other prospective owners.
Centre manager Georgina Lowery said: “We’re thrilled Jill has finally found a new home. She always had a fan club of volunteers who enjoyed spending time with her and now she gets to live out her twilight years with her biggest fan of all.”
Jill has had her happy ending, but there are plenty of dogs in Dogs Trust Merseyside still waiting for that special two-legged friend to come along. If you think you could rehome one of Dogs Trust’s rescue dogs, get in touch with the centre on 0151 480 0660, or visit www.dogstrust.co.uk
BATTERSEA DOGS & CATS HOME
Battersea has been rescuing lost and unwanted dogs since 1860 and cats since 1883.
Sarah Sloan, from Stonehaven, used the internet to help find her cat, Tigger.
Having searched endlessly for a Manx cat on the internet, Sarah turned to renowned London rescue home, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, and its new online rehoming service, where she found Tigger, her perfect match.
Sarah said: “I had really wanted a Manx cat for a long time and regularly searched different animal shelters on the internet. In September last year, I visited Battersea’s website and was welcomed by a picture of cheeky Tigger, a Manx cat, on their home page.
“I initially thought no more about it as I assumed I lived too far away to adopt a pet from Battersea.
“However, curiosity got the better of me and I decided that there would be no harm in inquiring. Following a successful telephone interview with Battersea’s rehoming team, I found myself on a plane to London by the end of that very same week to pick Tigger up.”
Battersea has a new online rehoming process which makes it easy for people outside London to make the initial approaches about getting a new pet.
“Battersea’s ability to rehome Tigger at such short notice is evidence of their expertise”, said Sarah.
“Their rehoming team made the process so easy, doing as much as possible over the internet and telephone to avoid me having to travel to London more than once. It was definitely a worthwhile and rewarding experience for both Tigger and I.”
Sarah says it is important to check local shelters to begin with – but if your search fails, Battersea is a good choice.
“Don’t be put off by the fact that you don’t live nearby because you can apply to rehome a pet online or on the phone, which makes the whole process really easy.”
If you want to apply to rehome a dog or cat from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, log on to www.dogshome.org/rehome and click on to the online application forms. To find out more, call the rehoming team on 020 7627 9234.
