DOGS’ HOME
The nation looked on in horror as Manchester Dogs’ Home burnt to the ground five years ago, claiming the lives of 60 of its canine inhabitants.
Staff and residents risked their lives as they desperately tried to free dogs trapped in the inferno, but they were unable to save them all.
Grief-stricken dog lovers dug deep and donated more than £2million – including a £25,000 donation from X Factor boss Simon Cowell – to help rebuild the kennels which rescue and re-home hundreds of stray and abandoned dogs each year.
It has been a long and slow process, but, thanks to the generosity of the public, the home now boasts five stateof-the-art kennel blocks, and a newlybuilt adoption centre where families can come and meet the dogs.
And the icing on the cake will be a memorial garden on the site of the fireravaged kennel block paying tribute to the dogs who tragically lost their lives.
Dogs’ home manager Steve Mapley says: “The words thank you just aren’t enough. In the days after the fire we were just totally overwhelmed by the generosity of the public who gave their hard-earned cash so we would have the funds to rebuild and continue to help.
“The first couple of weeks after the fire were just like being in a bubble. We were concentrating on the dogs and the staff and trying to make sure we were operating the best we could. Now to have come out of the other side of it we realise the support was amazing.
“It is funny how over time, both myself and Colin who was the first responder on the night, choke up more about it now than we did then. Now we have had time to sit back and think about it, it gets you a bit more the emotion of it.”
As he proudly shows us around the newly rebuilt kennels, it is no wonder Steve and his staff feel indebted to the people who gave so generously.
Gone are the burnt-out shells of the old Victorian-style kennels, and in their place are modern kennel blocks which can house more than 100 stray or abandoned dogs.
Each dog has its own kennel with a dedicated sleeping area and play area
– complete with under-floor heating to keep the pooches cosy and warm.
The kennels now have their own in-house kitchen so staff can prepare and make food on-site, along
STEVE MAPLEY BOSS OF MANCHESTER DOGS’ HOME with a dedicated grooming area to keep the dogs looking their best for visitors. The donations have also helped staff beef up security on the site in a bid to ensure there isn’t a repeat of the blaze, with CCTV cameras, improved fencing and a night-time security guard on duty. But the centrepiece of the complex is the brand new purpose-built doggy adoption centre, where the dogs who are ready for re-homing are kept ready to meet their new families. Each dog has its own glass-fronted kennel so they can show off their best tricks to visitors, and in the middle of the building is a play area where prospective owners can meet their new friend. Steve says: “None of this would have been possible without the donations from the public. “The renovations have cost upwards of the
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