Doris Banham Dog Rescue is literally the last chance to live for all the dogs they rescue.
They only take in dogs who are imminently due to die, having received no other rescue spaces in time to save their lives. Every dog in their kennels (over 150) would be dead if Doris Banham Dog Rescue had not saved them. They work frontline to save dogs from the pounds, veterinary surgeries, the police and from other life-threatening situations.
Presently, they are struggling to cope with the overwhelming increased workload caused by the post-pandemic animal welfare crisis. Their mission is to save canine lives, giving them everything they need to be loving re-homeable dogs. Every rehoming is a minor triumph in righting the wrongs ‘throwaway society’ has caused.
Dogs fail to get rescue spaces for many reasons. They may simply be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even young dogs with no problems sometimes are sentenced to die needlessly, simply because a rescue space is not available to save them. Some may need veterinary treatment or re-training. Many are the exploited victims of irresponsible overbreeding, neglect and abuse.
In 2013, Doris Banham Dog Rescue was awarded the Burgess / Wetnose Best Dog Rescue Centre, in 2019 the IFAW Animal Action Award for Dog Rescue and in 2020 Charity Champion Award – Amplifon Awards for Brave Britons. The rescue has been featured on Panorama, Inside Out and in newspapers / magazines such as Dogs Today, and Dog’s World. They were the only small rescue invited to be featured alongside the RSPCA, Battersea Dogs Home and Dog Trust in the ‘Britain’s Unwanted Pets’ Panorama programme.
The experienced and dedicated kennels at Cottam, Notts care for dogs who are frightened, traumatised and may have ailments or veterinary conditions. Their level of care, skill and dedication meets these dogs’ needs allowing them to house, care for, nurse, medicate, retrain, socialise, walk, exercise, and rehome our rescued dogs.
They deal with all variety of dogs – breeding bitches, abused dogs, bait dogs, dogs in need of veterinary treatment, emaciated dogs needing multiple small feeds, untrained young dogs, frail elderly dogs, dogs who have lived in sheds, gardens and alleys and provide them with everything they need to make them well, happy dogs ready for rehoming.
The care package for each dog includes in a complete welfare package: positive reward-based retraining, socialisation, neutering, vaccination, worming and microchipping, veterinary care, administration of medication and special diets, nursing and recuperation, rehoming, home checking and follow up visits.
At the kennels, the dogs thrive and become happy dogs again. People often remark how shiny and waggy-tailed the dogs are. They are amazed, when walking the dogs, that the dogs pull back to kennels – so keen are they to get home! Every dog homed is offered a lifelong guarantee to come back into care should they need to, so that they never end up in need again.
See some of their miracles at www.facebook.com/DorisBanhamUK, www.dorisbanhamdogrescue.org and www.twitter.com/DorisBanhamDogs.
The Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust (JSAWT) recently chose Doris Banham Rescue as one of four deserving recipients of a £25,000 award, for new eco-friendly, portable kennels. Trustees chose this project because of the long term benefits the kennels offer the charity in terms of enabling more dogs to be housed, retrained and hopefully rehomed in a more cost effective way.
JSAWT made its first donation to Doris Banham Dog Rescue in 2007. Since then, it has given almost £163,000 to the Rescue, including two 40th Anniversary Awards, donations towards vets fees and isolation kennels, and an emergency donation of £10,000 in 2020 during the COVID-19 Pandemic.