Urgent appeal to the public for help to save the lives of 50 dogs

An animal rescue center is appealing for help to save its dogs and secure their future after being given notice to leave their kennel within a month.

Celandine Wood Animal Rescue in Heswall, Wirral, is facing closure unless it raises enough money to set up new premises.

The organisation, which is run entirely by volunteers, has 50 dogs in care and also takes in cats and wildlife from Merseyside and beyond. The center is urging anyone who can foster or adopt a dog to get in touch.

READ MORE: Sign up for a £1,000 Aldi voucher gift and unleash yourself down the aisle

READ MORE: £10* unlimited day travel on Northern trains only with ECHO

The owner where the rescue center is located has offered the center another piece of land for rent, but there is no fence or buildings on it. Rescue volunteers are working to raise funds to erect temporary kennels to keep the dogs safe and sheltered.

Founder and vet Sharon Williams said: “We were allowed to use the land for free but now it has been sold and we have to relocate. Using it has meant we have saved many animals’ lives, but now we are facing evacuation.”

Sharon founded Celandine Wood Animal Rescue last year. For years, she had taken in animals that had been brought in for unnecessary euthanasia. Friends began to help, and from this a rescue was born.

Sharon and her team of 30 volunteers have rescued approximately 1,000 animals. She is appealing to the community to help the rescue center in this crisis.

She said: “My team of volunteers work incredibly hard day in and day out to save animals and raise funds. An animal can cost us thousands in veterinary care.

“But now we face a real threat to our dogs and our future and we cannot save them alone. People who can adopt or foster – please come forward because you will literally be saving a dog’s life.

“I know times are tough for many, but I would ask everyone reading this right now to donate what you can. And even if you can’t afford to donate, please share our appeal and help us spread the word.”

Sharon is also keen to hear from generous business owners who could help with dog fencing and enclosures.

According to animal rights organization PETA, around 20,000 dogs are put to sleep in the UK each year.

According to Sharon, the animal rescue system in the UK is in crisis and Merseyside is struggling in particular. She said: “Thousands of animals fall through the cracks and are euthanized due to a lack of kennel capacity or homes available. We are forced to turn away around 100 animals that we have been asked to help each week.

“We’ve had a surge of new dog owners during the pandemic and shelters are still struggling with unprecedented levels of abandoned pets. In addition, the cost of living has further exacerbated the problem.

“People are giving up their animals because they can’t afford it,” Ms Williams said. “The cost of living crisis also means fewer people are opening up their homes to shelter animals. And it’s harder to raise funds in a crisis to help this deluge of animals. It’s heartbreaking.”

Faced with a shocking increase in animal abandonment, Sharon and her team plan to build a permanent purpose-built facility to quadruple the rescue spaces currently offered by the centre. This will cost around £1m.

To apply to adopt or foster a dog or cat, visit here. To donate via GoFundMe, click here.

Get top articles on everything happening in Merseyside including events, shopping and food and drink with our newsletter from Registrations Here