Staffie & Stray Rescue based in Bournemouth, Dorset, has benefited from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust’s (KCCT) recently-launched emergency fund, in order to be able to continue rescuing and rehabilitating Staffordshire Bull Terriers amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Many dogs arrive into at the rescue in poor health and require urgent, as well as long-term, veterinary care, with bills often exceeding thousands of pounds. The charity has lost important sources of income because of the pandemic, including revenue from their charity shop and fundraising events.
The funds provided by the KCCT, the charitable arm of the UK’s largest organisation dedicated to dog health and welfare, the Kennel Club, will help the rescue in the short-term and during the pandemic, helping to cover veterinary bills for their dogs. This includes Winston, who was rescued from a local dog pound with clear signs of abuse – he was underweight and suffering with sore wounds, but is now recovering in his temporary foster home, thanks to Staffie and Stray Rescue.
Sophie Vye, a trustee from the Staffie and Stray Rescue, said: “We are very grateful for the generous contribution made by the Kennel Cub Charitable Trust, which will enable us to continue our work and save more dogs.
“We know that many dogs will continue to be abandoned therefore our work is as important as ever. We are working with a number of ‘furlough fosterers’ that help to care for the dogs.”
The KCCT Emergency Relief Initiative, which was established in April, was set up to support canine organisations which may be suffering and unable to continue their vital work, which makes a huge difference to dogs, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. All of the applications were considered carefully and funding was allocated to 20 organisations in the most urgent situation.
Other recipients of funds from the KCCT include breed rescue organisations such as the Northern Ireland Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club and Greyhound Rescue, as well as other general smaller dog rescue organisations, such as Friends of Animals Wales - the charity from which Boris Johnson rehomed Dilyn, the Jack Russell Terrier.
Revd. Bill King, Chairman of the Kennel Club Charitable Trust said: “We received a significant number of applications for our emergency funding and had to make some very hard decisions on where funds need to be placed as a matter of urgency.
“Keeping these organisations, which take care of health, welfare and future of dogs from all breeds and backgrounds, functional is a priority for the Kennel Club Charitable Trust. We know that most of smaller organisations depend on funding to keep up their excellent work that save dogs lives and want to ensure they can continue despite the pandemic.
“We are also grateful for Our Dogs newspaper’s help with our appeal which is helping to grow awareness about our fund amongst their readers who have so far donated over £40,000.”
To donate online to the KCCT relief fund and help dogs, volunteers and organisations across the country during this difficult time, visit the Virgin Money Giving website. Alternatively, you can make a donation by text. Simply text ‘KCCT [amount]’ to 70450 to donate the desired amount. For example, if you wish to donate £30, simply text ‘KCCT 30’ to 70450. You will be charged your donation plus one standard rate message and you’ll be opting in to hear more about the work of the KCCT and fundraising via telephone and SMS. If you’d like to make a donation but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text ‘KCCTNOINFO [amount]’ to 70450.