Dogs Trust Shoreham is calling on local dog lovers who can accommodate large breeds to consider opening their hearts and their homes to a foster dog.
The appeal comes at a crucial time for dog welfare, as the charity recently predicted that up to 40,000 more dogs could be at risk of abandonment in the fallout of the coronavirus crisis.
Since the coronavirus restrictions came into place, the rehoming centre has been overwhelmed with foster carer applications and have been able to place many dogs who were struggling in kennels during lockdown into temporary homes.
However, Dogs Trust Shoreham still has some dogs waiting to go into a foster home that need a more specific set up. Because of this, the charity is now recruiting for foster carers who have space for a larger breed, are willing to take on dogs who need training, and have no pets or children.
Trina Lewis-Ford, Home from Home Coordinator at Dogs Trust Shoreham says: “Over recent months we have been so grateful for the support for our amazing foster carers, and for all the interest we’ve had from the local dog loving public to take in a dog during lockdown. This has meant we’ve been able to get a lot of our dogs into temporary homes during these difficult times. However, we now need foster carers who would feel confident in taking on a larger breed with more complex training needs.
“The ideal candidate would live 30-40 minutes’ drive from the centre, have a secure garden and no other pets or children living in the home. If this sounds like you and you would be happy to drive your foster to dog to the centre for regular meets or vet checks, we would love to hear from you.”
Adel Burnett, Rehoming Centre Manager at Dogs Trust Shoreham says: “We want to say how thankful we are to each and every one of our supporters, especially during the difficult times we are now facing. The sad reality is that in times of financial hardship many people struggle to cope with looking after their pets, and the number of abandoned dogs goes up. We want to break the cycle of stories we see reported on repeat – tales of neglect, of healthy dogs needlessly put to sleep, of heartbroken owners facing impossible decisions to give up their dog.
“We are doing everything we can to minimise the impact of this crisis on dog welfare, but we know the worst is yet to come. Together, with the support of the public and our amazing foster carers, we can ‘Change the Tale’ of these dogs.”
If you think you can offer a larger breed the type of foster home we are looking for please contact [email protected].
