Rescue kennels appeal for festive treats - 27/11/06
Kennels used by the Vale of Glamorgan Council Dog Warden
Service are appealing to the public to donate suitable toys, tinned
food and treats for dogs not fortunate enough to be reclaimed or
rehomed before the Christmas holiday period.
The generosity of Vale residents in their response to a previous
appeal for unwanted blankets, towels and duvets delighted staff at
Bridgend's Croft Rescue Kennels, whose manager Janet Long said: "We
were overwhelmed by the generosity of the public. We are grateful
for donations of suitable items throughout the year but this appeal
really boosted our collection and will keep the dogs in our care
warm and comfortable throughout the winter.”
As Christmas approaches, there has been an increase in the
amount of strays and unwanted dogs collected in the Vale, and Dog
Warden Caroline Cowan said: "Over the last few years a trend has
developed of more dogs than usual finding themselves unwanted in
the run up to Christmas rather than after the holiday period which
has traditionally been a problem. This is extremely sad.”
Croft operates a responsible rehoming policy in the weeks prior
to Christmas to ensure puppies are not given as Christmas presents
and, at the moment, there are several large breeds awaiting homes
such as labradors, rottweilers, American bulldogs and an English
bull terrier and boxer. Even more unusual is the large amount of
cute and fluffy small dogs awaiting homes, which are usually
adopted immediately. There are even Yorkshire terriers, which
usually have a waiting list of people keen to adopt.
Kennel assistant Richard Long said: “This time of year people
are busy with their festive preparations and don’t seem keen to
take on the added responsibility of a new dog. We accept this but
would like to appeal to previously generous members of the public
to try to make Christmas for the dogs awaiting homes as happy as
possible. Any donations of suitable toys, tinned food and treats
really would make a difference."
The Vale Dog Wardens may be able to collect any toy or treat
donations and can be contacted on (01446) 709105.
Croft at Waun Davey House, Heol Llan, Coity, can be contacted on
01656 862288; to view some of the dogs awaiting homes visit
www.croftrescuekennels.com