Dogs finding forever homes thanks to Noel
SUPERVET Noel Fitzpatrick has helped to find new homes for four-legged friends being cared for by Leicester Animal Aid.
The Huncote-based dog and cat rescue centre was featured on Channel 4’s Animal Rescue Live: Supervet Special which was broadcast every evening for a week to encourage people to consider adopting pets from rescue centres rather than buying breeds to order.
Leicester Animal Aid (LAA) dogs were among those featured and some look set to be rehomed as a result.
Bubbles, a five-year-old, snoring St Bernard attracted interest from a viewer who now has a second socialisation visit scheduled.
Social media interactions soared, with around 7,500 people taking to LAA’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts through the week, compared with the usual 2,000-3,000 in the same period.
The high-profile publicity also encouraged more people to apply for voluntary work at the centre.
LAA fundraising manager Izzy Tutcher said: “We were lucky to be featured. We definitely had a lot more interest.
“People have really picked up on it.
“I was pleased they explained that it’s about matching people and pets.
“It’s not just you choosing an animal but also an animal choosing you.”
Another dog featured on the show, eight-year-old male lurcher Brandy, who has been with LAA since last September 2016, also attracted interest.
Long-time LAA resident Jess, a three-year-old lurcher who had been at the centre since March 2015, was due to go to her new home this week and Woody, a Shar Pei cross who had been there since July last year has also been rehomed.
Izzy said: “We’ve had quite a few other long stay dogs who have now found homes, which is fantastic.”
However, 20-month-old German shepherd cross lurcher siblings Marley and Millie, who were filmed for the show but didn’t get to appear, are still looking for love.
And BooBoo Bear, a six-yearold brindle male Staffordshire bull terrier, who has been with LAA since December last year, continues to be overlooked.
In the LAA cattery, ‘unadoptables’ include Sophie, a sevenyear-old white and tortoiseshell shorthair with a kidney issue that means she requires a special diet; black and white shorthair Eric, 17, whose owner could no longer care for him; and five-year-old pure black shorthair Jasper.
Animal Rescue Live was sponsored by PetPlan, which offers four weeks free insurance for all pets adopted from LAA and which has given significant grants to the centre to help support its work.
Animal Aid kennels are open from 10am and the cattery from 11am until 2.30pm daily, except Christmas Day.
On Saturday, August 19, the centre will be holding a family fun day and fun dog show from 11am until 3pm, with free admission and a fee of £1.50 for each fun dog show class entered.