PETS have been offered a boost, thanks to a new partnership between Pets at Home, Support Adoption For Pets and Blue Cross pet charity.

Animal lovers visiting the Pets at Home Swindon store at St Margaret’s Retail Park can now go to Blue Cross experts for advice on rehoming a pet, pet care, or how to support Blue Cross.

The Blue Cross rehoming and advice unit is a one-stop shop for the charity’s expertise and to promote the benefits of rehoming a rescue pet.

With increasing numbers of abandoned pets arriving at its centres, Blue Cross must find innovative ways to reach new owners and help the hundreds of pets in its care find loving homes.

With Pets at Home’s support, the partnership gives the charity a retail presence and offers animal lovers the chance to meet rescue dogs being cared for at the Burford centre.

Blue Cross chief executive Sally de la Bedoyere said: “We cannot thank Pets at Home and Support Adoption For Pets enough for giving us the opportunity to reach pet lovers, to talk about our work and to provide information and advice.

“The work we do with Pets at Home – be it the new rehoming and advice unit or through Support Adoption For Pets – helps raise awareness of our values and messages of responsible ownership as well as much needed funds.”

The rehoming and advice unit is open during store hours daily. It has a Paws and Play children’s area, a rehoming bar where people can search for pets currently needing a home and a consultation area to discuss rescue pets and rehoming.