OAPS and VIPS celebrate anniversary
Four and two-legged friends at Dogs Trust Shrewsbury are celebrating the rehoming centre’s sixth birthday – and finding loving forever homes for thousands of homeless hounds since they opened their doors to the dog-loving public.
From lurchers to labradors and beagles to boxers, more than 4,950 dogs have been looked after at the rehoming centre since 2011, before happily heading back out through the doors with their new owners.
Louise Campbell, Dogs Trust Shrewsbury manager said: “It has been an incredible six years and thanks to dog lovers who have often travelled many miles to find their ideal canine companion, we have said the happiest of goodbyes to dogs every week since we opened. The thrill of seeing them head home never fades for any of the team. It’s wonderful.”
The rehoming centre has been based on a 30 acre site at Roden Lane Farm in Telford since 1970, caring for more than 30,000 homeless hounds.
It reopened in August 2011 having undergone a 14 month, £5million rebuild and now looks after more than 150 dogs at any one time. It also has a unique ‘home from home’ house for Older Age Pooches (OAPs) who benefit from home comforts including their own living room and settees to be cuddled on, whilst they wait for their forever home.
Louise added: “We are so proud of rehoming so many dogs and being able to care for them so well whilst they are with us, thanks to the generosity of supporters across the county and beyond. Every dog is unique and every single one of them deserves a second chance, which luckily we are able to give them as dog-lovers adopt from us every week.”
The team held a party for staff and dogs with Very Important Pooch two-year-old Pomeranian Snowy having first bite of one of the doggie birthday cakes baked especially for the occasion by volunteer Moira Wallace.
