Animal LifeLine Kennels

Garden Party and Open Day

Sunday 6th June, 2pm - 4pm

Please 'click' on the poster to download, print out and spread the word!

Hope to see you all there!

Lifeline volunteer Emma D'sylva is taking on an amazing 177-mile sponsored walk to raise funds for Animal Lifeline.

Please support her by making a donation at www.charitygiving.co.uk/animallifelinewalk
You can donate by credit and debit cards, and with Paypal.

Says Emma: "I am going to be walking the Offa's Dyke trail which is 177 miles long and crosses the border of England and Wales over 20 times.
I will be doing this with my dog Skye and we (yes, she will have a lightweight rucksack too!) will be carrying all of our kit including food for the 12 day walk.

"We are planning to wild camp along the way however we may have to call into some campsites if we cant find an appropriate place to stop over night. Unfortunately my other dog Oakley has recently started having problems with his hips so he wont be able to do the trip with us. However his daddy is bringing him to the end point and will walk from the other end of the trail on my last day so he can join me for part of the final leg of the journey."

A Lifeline charity auction with more than 100 donated items will be held on Thursday April 18th at the Thistleberry pub in Thistleberry Road, Newcastle. Viewing starts at 6.30pm and the auctions starts at 7pm.

Items being auctioned will include wine and spirits, gifts, bric-a-brac, books, toys, jewellery, pottery and porcelain and many other goods.
Anyone who has suitable items for the sale can take them to either of our charity shops, at 1 Church Street, Newcastle and 22 Bennett's Precinct , Longton. Please state they are for the auction when you hand them in.

Our previous auction at the Thistleberry raised more that £1,000 so we are hoping for lots of support to raise a similar amount.

This is our new car sticker, and you can download it FREE and print off your own copy. Help us spread the word about Animal Lifeline! Click the sticker to download

The next open day and garden party at Lifeline's Serendipity Kennels will be on Sunday June 9th, from 2pm-4pm.

Attractions will include many stalls, delicious home-made cakes, tombola, raffles and of course the chance to meet staff ands volunteers and our wonderful dogs.

Make a note in your diary, your support will be greatly appreciated.

Stoke on Trent’s  Animal Lifeline charity has won a top national award for being an outstanding dog rescue centre.

The charity was spotlighted at the national Wet Nose Animal Aid Awards 2012 and has received an inscribed trophy presented at a ceremony at the Carlton Hotel in Knightsbridge, London with Dame Judi Dench as the VBIP guest.  The award was received on behalf of the charity’s staff and volunteers by Mrs Pat Lawton, a Trustee of the rescue group which has been operating locally for 37 years.

Animal Lifeline was nominated by it’s patron Wendy Turner-Webster (pictured right at the awards ceremony with Lifeline Trustee Pat Lawton), and a panel of judges watched a short film of life at the charity’s Serendipity Kennels near Cellarhead, featuring assistant manager Adam Woodward ('Star' of the film which helped Lifeline win the award pictured left)).

The film won the hearts of the judges, who chose Lifeline from a short list of candidates to receive the Lester Middlehurst Memorial Award for outstanding dog rescue work.

“The award is a great tribute to the hard work of our kennel staff and many volunteers who are a caring and commited team devoted to the welfare of many dogs in our care, “ said Lifeline spokesman Nick Fletcher.

“Without such strong local support, we just couldn’t rescue and re-home so many needy dogs and puppies.”

EBAY THANKS!

A big thank-you to all who have donated to Animal lifeline via Ebay. This extra income has made a huge difference to our funds and really does help save little lives.

Your kindness and generosity are much appreciated.

We cannot thank you all individually but we are truly grateful for your support.

DO YOU SHOP ON LINE?
Then you can raise money for Animal Lifeline
without it costing you a penny!

Animal Lifeline is registered with www.easyfundraising.org.uk -  a website linked directly to most of the UK’s top retailers.

These include Argos, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, the AA and the RAC, Laura Ashley, Waterstone’s, Amazon, John Lewis, Marks & Spencers, Dixons, B & Q and hundreds more!

Lifeline gets a small percentage fee each time you use these retailers websites if you go via www.easyfundraising.org.uk instead of direct.

It takes just seconds and doesn’t cost you anything at all. Just specify Animal Lifeline Dog Rescue in the charity box – and the retailer makes a donation to us. You shop normally with your chosen retailer, paying the same price you would anyway. The retailer pays us the fee.

Whenever you shop on line in future, just go via www.easyfundraising.org.uk  to access your retailer and  you support us at the same time.

HAVING A DOG FROM ANIMAL LIFELINE

Animal Lifeline operates in a slightly different way to most dog rescues, so its re-homing criteria also vary.

Most rescues centres take in many dogs that are strays, and nothing is usually known about them. Animal Lifeline is different – it gets most of its dogs from the previous owners, whose circumstances have changed (bereavement, illness, emigrating, moving into smaller accommodation etc) so we usually know a lot about the background of our dogs. This can include general temperament, whether they mix well with children, cats or other dogs, for example.

So our objective is not just to re-home the dog, but to re-home it into circumstances that will suit it best – and indirectly, suit the new owner too, minimising any potential problems which might arise.

This method, used for thousands of homings over the past 35 years, normally means it is rare for us to have to take a dog back because it isn’t suitable.

Some other re-homing agencies cannot operate this way because many of their dogs are unknown factors, found straying and unclaimed. They have no idea what sort of background the dog has. Therefore, they have little option but to operate a different system, which essentially may mean that you visit the kennels, see a dog you like, and pay a price for it. It’s quick, simple – but can often be a bit of a leap into the unknown.

Now if you want this kind of system, that’s fine - but it means you are probably best NOT having a dog from Animal Lifeline. Other agencies will be able to meet your requirements.

But if you want the maximise your chances of having a dog for life, a dog that will probably fit into your lifestyle very well, then Lifeline will do its best to meet that need. We will spend time chatting with you about your exact requirements, your past experience with dogs, and offer advice on which range of dogs we have that are likely to dovetail with what you want. And like all responsible dog rescues, we will need to make a home visit to check you have a secure rear garden.

All this can take a little more time, but it heightens the chances of a successful re-homing for both dog and new owner.

Not everyone appreciates our system, nor understands that our duty of care is find the most suitable new home for a dog, not just any home.

This also means that now and then we have to refuse an application for a dog and occasionally someone will take umbrage at this, thinking that it means we feel they are not suitable to have a rescue dog.

This is quite wrong. Refusal is not a personal judgement, is more likely to be because we don’t feel the dog selected is suitable for certain situations.
If this happens, we hope the people concerned will see the bigger picture, and understand.

For example, we don’t have an upper age restriction and have homed dogs to many people aged over 70. But if, for instance, you are 89, have a walking difficulty and want a young hyper-active puppy, don’t be surprised if we say no.

We also prefer to re-home to people who own their own house, but it is not an absolute rule - we will assess each case on its merits.  But many landlords won’t allow pets, or if they do, can change their minds very quickly if the dog causes damage, or a neighbour complains about noise or nuisance.  Indeed, we  have to take in many dogs from rented accommodation, so we are understandably cautious about placing dogs in similar circumstances.

These are some of the factors we need to evaluate when re-homing to try to ensure a happy long-term situation for dog and new owner. We regard it as best-practice.

You are of course entitled to disagree. But if you do, then Animal Lifeline isn’t the dog-rescue agency for you and you would be better seeking a dog from another source which will have different criteria.

But if you like the care and attention we endeavour to provide to help you get a dog that will become a loved and valued member of your family, then please get in touch with us by phone or email.

A MUST-READ DOG BOOK!

Animal Lifeline's name has travelled as far afield as California.

We have heard from author Joan Maredyth who lives in Sacramento and who has just published a wonderful book about dog rescue.

Joan, who runs a dog rescue herself, has written a fictional story based of her own experience of rescue work. It tells of a group of abandoned puppies who overcome immense odds and who change the lives of all those who find them. While sad in places, it is a truly inspirational story which underlines the bond between dogs and humans.

The book is available in print on Amazon, and also as an e-book, and on Kindle. There is also a copy in Stoke Library!

Do check it out and please note that part of the profits will go to dog rescues.

Extracts from reviews:

• It is an artful weaving of adventure, romance, courage, and even mystery. The lives of the characters in the book become intertwined with one another and with the pups.
• I really enjoyed reading it and recommend it highly. It brought me both laughter and tears. It would make a great movie.
• As the relationships of the dogs and people around them develop and intertwine, everything moves steadily toward the event that changes everything. A well-developed, moving book about the importance of caring for people and animals.

RE-HOMING YOUR DOG

A Brief Guide

Handing your dog over to a rescue centre should always be a last resort.

Many people think it is an easy option without realising their dog may have to spend months in kennels before finding a new owner. And while Animal Lifelife never has healthy dogs put down, some rescues centres do, so you can be risking the life of your dog.

Like all rescue centres, we are inundated with requests to re-home dogs and have to operate a managed intake based on acute priorities, which means going on a waiting list for a kennel space. This can take up to several weeks, depending on emergency cases we may have to deal with.

You can apply to be placed on our re-homing list by contacting our homing officer on 01782 638341. This is an answerphone service – leave brief details and your contact numbers and we will get in touch as soon as possible.

HOWEVER, if you unable to get your dog into a rescue centre, there are alternatives to having the dog put down. You can take steps to re-home the dog yourself. This initially involves INTENSIVE networking of family and friends. We don't mean just asking the 10 people nearest to you, but asking every single person you know, and impressing on them how important the situation is, and asking them to ask everyone THEY know too. Include family, friends,and work colleagues.

This results in scores of people trying to find a home for the dog within a circle of people you or you friends know, and in our experience, this can work very successfully.

In addition, try creating a small handbill or poster, featuring a photo of the dog and details about it. Place these posters in the local post office, shops, libraries etc  - they can often  help you find someone near you who is looking for a dog and may take it on.

You can also try advertising in the Pets Column of your local newspapers.
Consider Including a photo of the dog and a brief description. If the dog is very friendly, good with cats or children, remember include these positive points. Mention the dog’s age, and its temperament.

In our long experience, these methods have a very good chance of locating a suitable new owner.

If you do find a potential new owner, remember to ask about their previous experience of caring for a dog, check that they do not work long hours and have to leave the dog alone all day, and check that they have a secure rear garden or yard.

REMEMBER – if you have difficulty finding a resue centre to take your dog, the next step should NOT be having it put down. It deserves another chance and trying to find a suitable new owner yourself is a better option than ending its life.

It just takes a little more effort on your part.
And if you love your dog, you’ll make that effort.

All those are important points which help ensure your dog goes to a responsible and caring person. BUT BE AWARE that certain breeds of dogs – Staffies and Bulldogs for example – are sometimes sought by people who plan to use them for dog-fighting. You need to be cautious and it is best to seek advice from a local dog rescue before parting with the dog.
Most rescues will also carry out the homecheck for you.