Tag: West Calder Rehoming Centre

Deidre Brock MP meets ‘pawsome’ pooches at Dogs Trust West Calder

Deidre Brock MP was greeted to a wagging tail reception during her recent visit to Dog Trust’s West Calder Rehoming Centre.    

The MP for Edinburgh North and Leith was given a tour by Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre Manager Susan Tonner which included seeing the new peaceful garden area designed by the team at BBC’s Beechgrove Garden.  Deidre met with current residents including lurcher Phoebe, who has since gone on to find a loving new home. 

During the visit, Deidre and Susan chatted about the unprecedented numbers of enquiries the charity is receiving from worried dog owners considering giving up their dogs due to current financial pressures, the impact this is having on rehoming and the need for more foster carers so as many dogs as possible can be helped. 

Also discussed was the importance of the imminent return of the Kept Animals Bill to the Houses of Parliament and the impact this change in legislation could have on dog welfare and puppy smuggling.

Speaking about her visit, Deidre Brock MP, said:  “I am very grateful to the staff at Dogs Trust West Calder for taking the time to give me a tour of their wonderful facilities. It was a pleasure to meet Susan and the team who are working tirelessly to provide a better life for their residents as they journey to forever homes. 

“The centre is facing unprecedented demand for their services, with pandemic pups still being handed over frequently as people return to work, and as cost-of-living concerns continue to grow, this may put more pressure on dog owners.

“Further to this, the delay of The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill has allowed the illegal trade of puppies to continue, putting the welfare of young puppies and pregnant mums at risk. I fully support Dogs Trust’s recommendation for visual checks for dogs entering the country via ports and the Eurotunnel and hope for this to be introduced as secondary legislation when the Bill returns to Parliament.”

Dog Trust Rehoming Centre Manager Susan Tonner said: “We were delighted to welcome Deidre to West Calder Rehoming Centre. Deidre showed real and passionate interest in the dogs in our care and, also in the issues we are currently facing. 

“It was a pleasure to show Deidre some of the specialist behavioural work our four-legged friends require before they are made available for rehoming and to chat about our vital Home from Home fostering scheme which enables us to rehome more dogs throughout Scotland.  We are extremely grateful to have her support, interest and understanding in our work finding new homes for rescue dogs.”

Dogs Trust is urgently seeking foster carers in particular for dogs that are more difficult to find forever homes for, such as big dogs and dogs with challenging behaviour. If you think you can offer a dog in need a temporary home while the UK is in financial crisis, please call 01506 874 028 or email HFHWestCalder@dogstrust.org.uk

Anyone interested in rehoming can click here: https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/  

West Calder Rehoming Centre welcomes Christine Jardine MP

Local MP Christine Jardine MP was welcomed to Dogs Trust West Calder Rehoming Centre this month where she was greeted by a wagging tail reception.  

As well as a behind the scenes tour of the West Lothian centre, the MP for Edinburgh West chatted with Rehoming Centre Manager Susan Tonner about the charity’s work in Scotland and in particular the recent expansion of the Home from Home fostering scheme into Dundee and the surrounding counties of Angus, Perthshire and Fife.

The charity has recently employed its first Home from Home Co-ordinator in Dundee and has just placing its first dogs into foster homes in the Dundee area, with the aim of rehoming over 100 dogs locally every year.

Ms Jardine met some of the centre’s handsome hounds patiently waiting on their forever homes including loveable Shih Tzu, Tilly, who is looking to be rehomed with her best pal, Angel, a friendly border collie. 

Following her visit, Christine Jardine MP, said: “It was a pleasure to visit West Calder Rehoming Centre and to meet not only their dogs but also the excellent team who take care of them and work hard to find them their forever homes.

“The charity goes above and beyond for each individual dog, with some better suited to a foster home while they await their new families. One of the best parts of a great visit was hearing about the foster scheme and how people can get involved.  I would encourage anyone who is willing and able to look after a dog on a temporary basis to get in touch with Dogs Trust to find out more.”

Susan Tonner said: “It is clear Ms Jardine is a real dog lover, so it was lovely to meet her and show her around our Rehoming Centre, introducing her to some of our wonderful pooches.

“It was also a great opportunity for us to discuss the benefits of foster caring which is such an important part of our work. Ms Jardine was a real supporter of our Home from Home foster scheme and its continued growth within Scotland.”

Dogs Trust is currently looking for Home from Home fosterers in Dundee, Tayside, Perth and Kinross, Fife, Angus and Kincardine. Anyone interested can call Megan on 01506 873459 or email HFH.Dundee@dogstrust.org.uk

Anyone interested in rehoming Tilly, Angel or a four-legged friend can click here:

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/

Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon welcomed to Dogs Trust’s West Calder Rehoming Centre

Dogs Trust staff welcomed Mairi Gougeon MSP to West Calder Rehoming Centre last week where she met handsome hounds patiently awaiting new homes.  

As well as a behind the scenes tour of the West Lothian centre, The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands and MSP for Angus North and Mearns, met with Dogs Trust staff including Veterinary Director Paula Boyden to discuss the charity’s work in Scotland. 

Paula said: “It was lovely to meet Mairi at one of our rehoming centres in Scotland where she was greeted by lots of waggy tails! 

“It was a great opportunity to discuss current progress around dog welfare in Scotland, including proposals to tackle puppy smuggling, and how, as the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, we will continue to work with the Scottish Government on a range of issues to improve the lives of our four-legged friends.”

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “The work undertaken by the Dogs Trust contributes significantly to safeguarding the welfare of dogs in Scotland. I want to thank the staff at the West Calder facility for taking time out of their day to introduce me to some of their resident dogs and for updating me on the vital hard work they do every day.

“Canine welfare is an issue that the Scottish Government and Dogs Trust take extremely seriously and we are fully committed to tackling the scourge of low-welfare breeding and dealing of dogs. We will continue to work together to ensure the wellbeing of dogs across Scotland.”

Susan Tonner, West Calder Rehoming Centre Manager said: “We were delighted to welcome Mairi to our rehoming centre to showcase the work we do with the dogs in our care. 

“It was a pleasure to show Mairi the hard work and dedication that goes on behind the scenes to prepare our canine friends for their forever homes.”

Dogs Trust has two rehoming centres in Scotland, West Calder and Glasgow in Uddingston. On average we rehome 700 dogs a year in Scotland and have over 430,000 supporters across the country.

For more information about Dogs Trust West Calder, please call 0300 303 0292 or visit https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/our-centres/west-calder/