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£90,000 building work to transform rescue centre
DOGS are often described as man's best friend, but man is not always dog's best friend. When dogs are abandoned, or are the victims of cruelty, what happens to them and how are they found new homes? AMY HIRST finds out.
CONSTRUCTION of a new 90,000 education and visitor centre will start at Awsworth's Babbington Rescue Centre next week.
The kennels are charity-run and finds new homes for abandoned dogs. The new development will help attract visitors, educate people and bring in much-needed revenue.
The new building will have a reception area, education facilities and cafe. It will aim to inform visitors about the work of the centre and how to care for pets.
When Tony Sanderson took over the rescue centre and kennels in 2003 they were taking in strays from Nottingham city centre and, because of a lack of similar centres in the surrounding areas, many stray dogs were being put down.
Now Babbington Kennels also takes in stray and abandoned dogs from Erewash, Broxtowe, Amber Valley and Derby city centre. This equates to a massive one per cent of the entire country's unwanted dogs going through the rescue centre.
Tony said: "We want Babbington to become a destination and not just a rescue centre. We want people to be able to come here, see what we do, spend a few hours looking around and join in with activities.
"We want to educate people not just about what we do but about how dogs
should be looked after and, if we can do that, it should stop so many pets being abandoned or mistreated."
Since 2003, the centre has helped re-home more than 3,500 dogs. On average it finds new homes for two dogs per day. In 2009, 700 animals taken in by the centre were found new homes.
When potential owners express an interest in one of the dogs they consult with staff and are asked to fill in a questionnaire. If the particular dog is thought to be unsuitable, another will be suggested.
If it is considered suitable, staff visit the potential owners at their
home to ensure the dog will be properly looked after. Once everything has been approved, the dog will be sent to its new home fully innoculated, micro-chipped and usually spayed or neutered.
It takes 500 a day to keep the centre running. That money comes mainly from its on-site boarding kennels operation. It also needs charity donations to stay afloat. The boarding kennels provide accommodation for pets while their owners are on holiday and that side of the business has helped to raise the money needed to build the new centre.
Tony said: "Without the boarding kennels we wouldn't survive and we wouldn't be building the new centre. It's a vital source of income for us as we're a non-profit organisation, all of the money we make is spent on the dogs."
A team of 15 staff look after the animals at the rescue centre and boarding kennels. Four full time and 11 part-time staff as well as volunteers work there.
Letting the dogs out of their night pens and into their day enclosures is the first task for staff. They then feed and walk all of the dogs and clean out the pens. Visitors and potential new owners are shown around and more cleaning, feeding and walking, follow.
Tony said: "It's a rough job in the cold months but once it gets to the summer and the weather warms up the staff really enjoy it."
To see more dogs that need rehoming, click here.
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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