DOGGED DETERMINATION:

A dog rescue centre has been praised for its commitment and care to German Shepherds throughout the UK. Luosko German Shepherd Dog Rescue, founded in 2014, is an independent, self-funded charity which rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes German Shepherds that have been abandoned or mistreated. Based in Cheadle, the Luosko team work tirelessly to help stray, abandoned and unwanted dogs. They also support owners in crisis who may need to surrender their dog, giving them peace of mind that their pet will be rehomed responsibly. The centre has now been nominated for an Our Heroes Award in the Community Group category by Teresa Mctigue. Teresa said: “As with most rescues they rely on the kindness of the general public and their donations. There are three staff on site at all times and they deserve recognition for everything they do.” Stuart Harvey, a rescue coordinator at the centre, said it felt ‘very nice but very weird’ for the centre to be recognised. He said: “For us this is just what we do every day. We originally started with dog walking, then daycare, then boarding. People trusted us so we just continued to expand. “However, once the rescue began we left some of the old services behind to give us time to look after the dogs coming into our care.” The centre re-homes more than 100 dogs every year and can have more than 40 dogs in its care at any one time in the Cheadle kennels or in commercial boarding kennels or foster homes throughout the UK and Europe. The team work closely with other rescue centres and organisations such as Battersea Cats and Dogs Home, Armatus Risk Security, Staffordshire Police, Manchester Police Dogs and HM Prison Service to help dogs who come into the centre and would be better suited to a working home. One dog that has recently benefited from the care and compassion of the centre is German Shepherd Elsa. Stuart said: “Elsa was behind bars in Spain one and a half years ago. She had bad skin and was unhappy, but now she is in the UK and a lot happier.” Stuart added: “The best part is to see how happy the dogs are in their new homes.” You can find out more about Luosko German Shepherd Dog Rescue at www.facebook.com/ luoskogsr/. Pictured are, from left, Viv Bloor, Dru Johns, Stuart Harvey, Joshua Woodward and Janet Rhodes with Luna, Leon, River and Gary.