Cov charity saves lives of puppies by bringing them to city

“THESE little puppies need their forever homes. They would die if they stayed where they are now.”

These words were spoken by the founder of a local charity, that makes a difference to the lives of dogs that are found living in poor conditions.

The Dogbus, based in Coventry, raises money to transport dogs to the UK from abroad, where they can find their forever homes and escape harsh living conditions.

Litters of puppies and their mothers are located by the charity in countries such as Spain, China, Romania and Serbia, to name a few.

The Dogbus then organises temporary care for the dogs, until transport can be arranged to bring them to the UK, where they can live a better life with new owners.

We spoke to charity founder, Kris Adams, to find out about the charity’s latest feat.

The Dogbus is currently raising money for a project which is one of their biggest yet.

They need around £4,500 to transport 22 dogs from Romania, 19 of which are puppies.

This money will go towards their care while they are being temporarily being looked after in Romania, their puppy passports and their transport into the UK.

Kris said: “We were initially notified about these dogs online, who had been found by a tourist walking the mountain.

“First they saw one puppy and thought it was alone, until they got closer and saw that there were even more.

“Once we heard about them we couldn’t just leave them there.

“We knew these little puppies needed their forever homes. They would die if they stayed where they are now.”

Since then, the puppies have been located, captured and taken into temporary foster care in Romania.

Kris added: “Two of the litters are currently in a shelter, and the other litter is in someone’s back garden.

“It’s not ideal, but it is better than them being on the mountain.

“It costs us £25 per puppy, per month to keep them where they are, and that includes their food, vaccinations and all that other stuff.”

Kris explains that once all the puppies are old enough and have had their vaccines, they will be transported to the UK to be adopted.

Kris said: “We are asking people to donate whatever they can, because if we can’t afford to pick them up, they will have to stay where they are.”

If you would like to make a donation to the cause, you can do so by heading to the gofundme page or their paypal page.

There is also the opportunity to sponsor a dog, which has to be for a minimum commitment of three months.

Donations via a card can be taken over the phone, and you can contact Kris on 07943 040970 to enquire about making a donation or sponsoring.

Kris explained the Dogbus needs to raise as much money as possible by March 2020, which is when the dogs will need to be collected.

However before this can happen, all the puppies need homes to move into in the UK.

If this is something you’re interested in; if you would love a new four-legged friend, then these pups may be perfect for you.

Kris said: “We need people to adopt the puppies for when they return.

“We can’t bring them into the UK if we don’t know where they are going to live, so it’s important people sign up if they want to.

“We ask that the puppies go to family homes with children, so they can learn things as the child and puppy grow up together.

“If people are interested in the older females, who are only eight or nine months old, so are still fairly young, they can put their name forward to adopt, but we will need to assess the dogs first.

“It’s possible we will need fosters for the older dogs until we can move them into a permanent home.”

If you are interested in fostering, you can get in touch with Kris via her mobile, or through the Facebook page.

Kris added: “We just want to get all the dogs to the UK so they can live a long and happy life.”

Other ways you can helpKris said: “The Dogbus is always looking for volunteers, whether that is to drive the bus or help out by taking the dogs for a walk.

“We also are caring for dogs at the moment that need homes, so if you would like to come and take a look around the Dogbus houses, please feel free to get in touch.

“Any help is appreciated at this difficult time of year.”