We’ve saved over 1,500 dogs ... and we want to do so much more
Inside couple’s revolutionary rescue centre, as they get green light to keep up the good work
EMMA BILLINGTON and her partner Louise Fields have saved more than 1,500 dogs from all over the world who would have otherwise been put to sleep.
Some have been rehomed, while others, still scarred from mistreatment, live their lives among their family of farm animals – three sheep, two goats, five pigs, 20 chickens, two turkeys, three ducks, a goose and a pheasant.
The couple, who live in a farmhouse near the M62 with a rabbit, two ferrets, two guinea pigs and five cats, want to revolutionise dog rescues in the UK.
Their not-for-profit organisation, funded by their dog crèche business in Sharston, is known nationwide as a pioneering kennel-free dog rescue.
The free-roaming animal sanctuary in Irlam has now been given the green light by Salford council to continue using the green belt land in Barton Moss Road.
Dogs4Rescue, which opened at Nursery Farm in 2013, now offers animal-assisted therapy, a fostering service and visits to schools and workplaces. But the story started back in 2003 when Emma, who had recently graduated, saw a dog, ironically named Lucky, chained up outside her neighbour’s home.
She said: “The more I looked into it, the more I thought, well why do we keep them in kennels?”
Emma soon quit her job in the city and opened Daycare 4 Dogs in Sharston. After taking a trip to Turkey, where she visited a free-roaming dog rescue, she used the profits from the dog crèche to buy the farm in Irlam. She said: “You can’t really set up a rescue with nothing. And I really had nothing. We rescue dogs from all over the world now.”
A qualified clinical child psychologist works at the rescue every week, helping children, whose experiences resemble those of the rejected dogs, to open up. The farm also welcomes older lonely people to spend time with the dogs, giving them much-desired attention. Speaking on behalf of Dogs4Rescue at a council meeting, planning agent Kelly Paddock told a panel of councillors: “It’s difficult to put into words how truly wonderful this place is.” Now, Dogs4Rescue is hoping to set up a second site. Emma said: “We’ve saved over 1,500 dogs. We want to do so much more.
“We’re just really grateful that people are able to see the benefits of this – people can see that there’s a difference in the way we’re doing dog rescues.”
You can’t really set up a rescue with nothing – and I really had nothing Emma Billington