Paw-some effort by Shropshire's canine carers
Dog lovers in Shropshire have been throwing open their doors to foster dozens on dogs who are on the hunt for their forever homes.
Dogs Trust Shrewsbury has found carers for 100 dogs of all shapes, sizes and ages in the last 12 months – a record number since the Home from Home foster scheme was set up in May 2015.
Sue Bromley, assistant manager at Dogs Trust Shrewsbury, said: “When a dog has to leave behind everything they’ve known for whatever reason, from illness in the family to relationship breakdown, it means the dog is inevitably going to go through a huge amount of change, which can be unsettling for them.
“Some dogs adjust better than others to life in kennels so it’s fantastic that we have been able to place so many in foster homes. It also means we can look after more dogs on site and help them all find their forever homes as quickly as possible.”
Alma
Mill and Pamela Collins from Copthorne, Shrewsbury have been foster carers for two years and crossbreed Alma, the 100th dog to find her forever home after being in foster, was the 19th foster dog they have welcomed into their home.
Mill said: “We started fostering when I retired. At the time our elderly dog, Geena, who has now sadly passed away didn’t need too much exercise and we visited the rehoming centre looking to adopt another dog. We saw the advert for foster carers and it just seemed the right thing to do.
“It has been fantastic. To know you are caring for dogs in need, and helping them move on to their forever homes, is brilliant. We would recommend it to any dog lover.”
The Home from Home scheme provides foster ‘parents’ for dogs who might find kennel life stressful, such as poorly or pregnant dogs, strays, puppies or older dogs who are used to a quieter life.
Since its launch, 63 people have taken on the role, providing temporary homes before waving a fond farewell to a total of 292 dogs when they have found their special someone. Sue added: “We want to say a huge thank you to our foster carers. It is fantastic that so many dogs have been able to benefit from enjoying the comforts of a loving home thanks to them.
“We would encourage anyone who loves dogs and has the time to look after a four-legged friend and will be happy to wave them off when they find their forever family, to get in touch.”
To find out more about becoming a foster carer, or to learn more about all the dogs waiting for their forever homes at Dogs Trust Shrewsbury, go to dogstrust.org.uk or call 0300 303 0292.
You can also visit Dogs Trust Shrewsbury at Roden Lane Farm, Telford.
