A WISBECH rescue charity is searching for new homes for 22 dogs in their care.
Staffordshire Bull Terrier Rescue looks after Staffords which have been abused, neglected, abandoned or are simply unwanted.
The charity often receives dogs in very poor condition and nurses them back to good health before finding them loving owners.
Chris Clark, Chairperson & Rescue Coordinator at Staffordshire Bull Terrier Rescue, said they have been particularly busy since Christmas.
She said: “We have welcomed seven unwanted puppies since Christmas and at the moment we are getting 30 to 40 calls a day from owners wanting us to re-home their dogs.
“A lot of caring owners can no longer afford to keep dogs because of the recession.
“Unfortunately, some people buy a pet on a whim and do not realise how much work is involved in taking care of them.
“They lose sight of the fact that a dog is not just for Christmas, it’s for life.”
Due to over-breeding by unregistered back yard breeders, many Staffordshire Bull Terriers end up in Pounds or Rescues.
Six month old puppy Holly, who was dumped at the Pound, Angel, who was discovered in very poor condition and Levi, whose owner fell ill, are among those in the Rescue’s care.
Miss Clark said: “The Staffordshire Bull Terriers that come into our Rescue need and receive careful assessment before we would ever consider re-homing them.
“Many of them need rehabilitation, nursing back to good health, expensive medical care, training and socialisation with other animals and sometimes with people.
“Our dedicated, wonderful foster carers take these dogs into their homes and look after them, assess them and socialise them with other animals and people.
“The dogs are then ready to find a new permanent loving home.”
The charity works closely with the Police, social services and various Pounds throughout the UK.
Its volunteers have multiple responsibilities, including fostering, carrying out home checks, transportation and assessing the dogs.
Miss Clark said: “Without our team of dog loving volunteers we would not be able to continue with our work.
“We have a daily struggle to find sufficient funds to pay for the necessary care for the dogs in our Rescue and many of our volunteers work very hard to find the necessary funds.
“We all work tirelessly to improve the lives of the dogs in our care.”
The charity was recognised for its tireless efforts with a Pride of Fenland Award last year.
Miss Clark said: “We were very proud to receive the award. It was actually a shock. I thought it was someone winding us up since I’ve got a couple of friends that work at the council.”
All the Rescue’s dogs are spayed, vaccinated, neutered and micro-chipped.
To find out more about Staffordshire Bull Terrier Rescue visit: http://www.sbtrescue.co.uk/
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