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Domestic abuse support service appeals for more dog fosterers
Volunteers for the charity have fostered 211 dogs so far this year.

Dogs Trust’s Freedom Project has seen demand grow for its services.

A charity scheme which supports people fleeing domestic abuse by providing temporary foster homes for their dogs has issued an urgent appeal for more volunteers after seeing a significant increase in demand for its services in the last 12 months.

The Freedom Project, run by the charity Dogs Trust, helps people fleeing domestic abuse by providing a safe home for dogs while their owners are staying in temporary accommodation. Many refuges do not have the capacity to accommodate pets.

Once the owners have found new homes, their dogs are returned to them. So far this year, Freedom Project volunteers have fostered 211 dogs, helping 163 people to escape from domestic abuse.

However, more fosterers are needed to help the charity cope with a 23 per cent increase in demand for its services in the past year. 

All fostering costs are covered by the Freedom Project, including food, treats, grooming, bedding, and veterinary treatment. To protect both the dogs and the foster carers, dogs are not fostered in the area where the owner is from and the foster carer will not know who the owner is or where they live.

Laura Saunders, Freedom Project manager at Dogs Trust, said:  “We’ve seen first-hand the ways that perpetrators use dogs to coerce, control, physically harm and threaten within abusive relationships. This is incredibly frightening for survivors and is often aimed to leave people isolated.  
 
“By providing temporary foster homes for dogs, we support survivors to access safe accommodation with the reassurance that their dog will be taken care of until they can be reunited.  
 
“Whilst we are pleased to have been able to help so many people, there is still very much a need for our service, and we urgently need more foster carers across the UK so that we can continue this life-saving work.”  

Anyone looking to become a fosterer, or wanting to find out more about it, can either visit the Freedom Project’s website or call 0808 196 6240.

 

Image (C) Shutterstock

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Birmingham Dogs Home makes urgent appeal

News Story 1
 Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.

The rescue centre has seen a dramatic increase in dogs coming into its care, and is currently caring for over 200 dogs. With rising costs and dropping temperatures, the charity is calling for urgent support.

It costs the charity £6,000 per day to continue its work.

Fi Harrison, head of fundraising and communications, said: "It's heart-breaking for our team to see the conditions some dogs arrive in. We really are their last chance and hope of survival."

More information about the appeal can be found here. 

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News Shorts
Avian flu confirmed at premises in Cornwall

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial poultry at a premises near Rosudgeon, Cornwall.

All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

The case is the second avian flu case confirmed in commercial poultry this month. The H5N5 strain was detected in a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in early November. Before then, the disease had not been confirmed in captive birds in England since February.

The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.