A grant of £240,000 from the Pets at Home Foundation has enabled us to begin construction on a new behavioural unit to provide specialist support for dogs with complex behavioural needs.
We care for dogs from across the Midlands, looking after up to 200 at a time at our centres in Solihull and Wolverhampton, both of which are currently over capacity.
With an increase in the volume of dogs being left in our care in recent months, particularly those displaying complex emotional behavioural issues such as separation anxiety and reactivity.
Dogs with behavioural issues find it difficult to cope in a busy, noisy kennel environment so the new 500 sq. metre wing will have eight purpose built spacious kennels, where dogs with a variety of issues can receive special care.
It has been designed so that dogs can communicate but not see each other, avoiding over-stimulation and creating a quieter calmer environment to reduce stress. Each dog will also have his or her own large outdoor area for one-on-one training, allowing for bespoke positive reinforcement care plans to be carried out by our specially trained behaviourists.
Giles Webber, chief executive officer at Birmingham Dogs Home, said: “As an organisation we’re facing one of our most challenging periods, with our rescue centres at capacity, and demand for our services only continuing to increase.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the Pets at Home Foundation for working in partnership with us to create this new unit.
“It will provide a better quality of life for the dogs in our care who need the most support, allowing us to rehabilitate them more intensively, while at the same time providing a calmer environment for all the other dogs at our centres.
“Ultimately, this will increase the possibility of our most vulnerable dogs moving into a home environment and mean there are fewer behavioural issues for adopters to manage, increasing our success in finding permanent homes for as many dogs as possible.”
The Pets at Home Foundation was founded by Pets at Home as part of its mission to create a better world for pets and the people who love them.
Amy Angus, Charity and Community Manager at the Pets at Home Foundation, said: “The team at Birmingham Dogs Home do a phenomenal job in caring for and rehoming dogs from across the Midlands, and we know their support is more important than ever in the current climate.
“Ensuring as many dogs as possible can be successfully rehomed for the long-term is incredibly important and we’re proud to have been able to provide our biggest single grant to date to enable this project to go ahead.
“It’s fantastic to be able to help charities like Birmingham Dogs Home, that are working tirelessly to look after those pets that find themselves without a family for whatever reason that might be.
“A huge thank you has to go to Pets at Home customers and all those that have made generous donations, allowing us to keep providing essential funds to these amazing organisations.”
For more information on the Pets at Home Foundation, visit: https://www.petsathomefoundation.co.uk/.
