UK Dog Rescue | Rescue Dog UK

Jerry Green Dog Rescue, the country’s second largest dog rescue charity has launched its new website at www.jerrygreendogs.org.uk The website provides an easy access to all you need to know about this leading dog rescue organisation including how to go about adopting a Jerry Green dog. There are contact details for all seven Jerry Green Dog Rescue Centres as well as photographs and descriptions of dogs available for rehoming.

“We hope this will prove to be a useful addition to the personal service that Jerry Green Dog Rescue staff provide at all our centres. It doesn’t replace our traditional individual approach to matching adopters and dogs but rather we hope it will enhance that service.” Desmond Bergin, Chief Executive, went on, “It’s critical to our success that we do everything possible to get this matching right first time and the new website will provide all the background information that prospective adopters need to inform their own decision-making about adopting a rescue dog.”

The new website also makes it easier for supporters to donate online through a secure link to support the vital work of Jerry Green Dog Rescue. In 2008, it will cost more than £1 million to run Jerry Green Dog Rescue’s seven centres and the charity is heavily dependent on public generosity.

www.jerrygreendogs.org.uk 

by Sapphire Mcinnes

Staffordshire Bull Terriers face a life time of a bad reputation to our disbelief. We are hoping that by highlighting how lovely these dogs can be that people may give them a chance and adopt a needy Staffie from a rescue centre such as ourselves who have many Staffies in kennels looking for homes.

Often when public visit our centre they will say “you have a lot of Staffies at the moment” which is very true. Unfortunately we have a large amount of Staffordshire Bull Terrier breeders in our area and the cute pups often become unwanted adult dogs in a rescue centre. The problem we face is the reputation about this breed. As the press sometimes highlights dog attacks especially about bull terrier breeds people are scared to have a Staffie in their homes. So our plea is for people to research the breed and realise that Staffie’s can be loving family pets. It’s usually only avid Staffie fans that comment on how great a Staffie can be in a home. When we mention Staffies many people reply with “oh no I couldn’t possibly have a Staffie I have children” to our disbelief many people still don’t realise the Staffies were once nickname the “nanny dog” because they were such good family pets. Admittedly Staffies can be aggressive with animals if not introduced from a young age but most Staffies are very loyal to children and are easy to train.

At the Jerry Green dog rescue centre in Blidworth we have many unwanted Staffies looking for loving homes. They are well behaved and loving pets looking for someone to love. Can we make a difference to peoples opinions? I truly hope so as Staffies are facing such crisis as being put to sleep around the country just because no one will take them in.

CEVA Animal Health, manufacturers of the innovative D.A.P.^® range of pheromone products, are to sponsor Dogsblog.com, the simple, easy to use, centralised location for people interested in adopting a rescue dog.

The site contains details of thousands of dogs currently living in rescue centres across the UK, and allows potential new owners to search relevant criteria for a suitable dog. On the site experts from CEVA will also offer advice on behaviour and taking on a rescue dog, as well as answering questions from worried owners considering giving their dog up for adoption.

Fabienne Maçon-Slater, Small Animal Marketing Manager at CEVA Animal Health elaborates, “Due to their often difficult start in life and their very different life in kennels, anxiety related behaviour problems are common amongst recently re-homed dogs. We hope to help address this problem and, using our expertise and innovative portfolio of pheromone products, help reduce the number of dogs returning to centres time and time again.”

“We are delighted to have CEVA on board as our principle sponsor,’ announced Ryan O’Meara, Managing Director of K9 Media Ltd who operate the Dogsblog.com website, ‘We hope to benefit from their experience and look forward to working with them on future campaigns.

Our first year was an enormous success. Over a thousand dogs found new homes via the website - this year, as well as increasing the number of dogs we help to find new homes we’re also hoping our relationship with CEVA can enable us to offer practical advice and assistance to people who may be struggling with their dogs and might be considering giving them up. We believe it is as important to try and do something to reduce the volume of dogs going into rescue system in the first place as much it is to find new, permanent homes for those dogs who are already seeking new homes”.

Thanks to the work undertaken by charitable organisations there has been a dramatic reduction in the number of stray/unwanted dogs in the UK over the last ten years. However, progress has now stagnated. Despite a year on year increase in the number of dogs re-homed, the population of rescue dogs has remained consistent for the last four years. In 2007, 7,892 of these dogs were destroyed¹.

To combat these figures CEVA and Dogsblog.com are delighted to be able to announce ‘Dog Adoption Month’ in July 2008, to raise awareness of dogs looking for new homes. A series of educational activities and awareness initiatives are planned to help reduce the number of new dogs ending up in rescue centres each year and to promote the concept of adopting a dog to the UK public.

D.A.P.^® is a synthetic canine appeasing pheromone, a substance produced naturally by a lactating bitch to reassure and calm puppies, also proven to have a positive relaxing and comforting influence on adult dogs. The convenient new D.A.P.^® Collar formulation is particularly suitable to help comfort and reassure rescue dogs while they adapt to a new home.

For more information on dogsblog.com, National Dog Adoption Month and using D.A.P.^® to help rescue dogs call the CEVA Customer Support Line on 01494 781510

References:

Dogs Trust (2007), Stray Dogs Survey, accessed online at www.dogstrust.org.uk/press_office/stray-dog-survey-2007/