NEW £18M DOGS HOME FOR CITY
A MULTI-MILLION-POUND rehoming centre for dogs will be built in Cardiff after approval was given by local councillors.
The £18m rehoming centre will be built in Splott with at least 50 jobs created, according to the charity.
The “fabulous” plans were granted unanimously by Cardiff council’s planning committee last night.
The centre will be built on a site at Nettlefold Road into what the charity describes as a “world-class rehoming centre”.
Most of the site is vacant but part of it is owned by steel company Celsa and a deal had been arranged to lease the land should the charity get planning permission.
The new facility will include a visitor centre, cafe, 20 rehoming kennels, and a veterinary examination room and operating suite.
There will also be a bespoke facility for puppies and a training hall or play barn.
It will also have a hydrotherapy and physiotherapy suite and space for 157 dogs in total.
Speaking at the council’s planning meeting, Pentwyn councillor Frank Jacobsen said: “I welcome the plans. Anything for the welfare of the animals of Cardiff.
“I think this is most welcome in Cardiff and it looks fabulous.”
Conservative councillor for Heath, Lyn Hudson, also welcomed the plans.
She said: “There’s not enough done to round up the strays and re-home them ethically and make sure they are re-trained for when they go to another home. I would welcome it with open arms.”
The centre will be open to the public between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Sunday and the charity predicts there would be up to 2,000 people visiting the centre each month.
There will also be accommodation for staff to be on site 24/7.
Dogs Trust chief executive Adrian Burder said: “Dogs Trust is delighted to have planning permission approved to invest in a Cardiff Rehoming Centre which the charity hopes will raise the bar for all dog friendly cities across the world. The state of the art facility will take in and care for over 1,000 dogs every year and never puts a healthy dog to sleep.
“The Rehoming Centre will feature a range of rehabilitation facilities, rehome to the rapidly expanding local population and create a hub for dog owners in the community to be able to access affordable and expert dog training.
“This development will offer significant benefits to the local community. Alongside dog training, an education team will help to teach thousands of school children the importance of responsible dog ownership and a campaigns team will run local initiatives, including neutering and microchipping, to encourage responsible dog ownership. The site will lead to the creation of at least 50 new full time jobs in Cardiff.
“Dogs Trust relies solely on public donations. The construction of Dogs Trust Cardiff will not involve any funding from the Welsh Government.”