Can you help by giving a dog a home? (From Swindon Advertiser)

Can you help by giving a dog a home?

6:10pm Tuesday 4th December 2012 in News By Matthew Edwards

A VOLUNTEER group set up to help save dogs in Swindon from death row is looking to re-home five dogs.

The problem of abandoned dogs has reached desperate levels in the town over the past year with Swindon Council’s pound inundated with bull terrier-type breeds in particular.

Under regulations, the animals can be looked after at the pound for seven days to allow owners a chance to reclaim them.

But after that they become council property and unless pounds can find a place for an unwanted dog at a re-homing centre, it faces being put down.

In a bid to prevent innocent animals losing their lives, a group called Swindon’s Needy Dogs has a team of volunteers who help to re-home the dogs, and take them for walks at the pound.

One of the volunteers, Jessie Bascombe, of Penhill, is trying to find homes for five dogs before Christmas.

They are Burt, a Staffordshire Terrier cross, George a Staffordshire Terrier, and Sophie, a dachshound which has two spaniel-cross puppies.

Jessie, the dog planner co-ordinator, said: “We don’t have much time between the dog being put in the pound and finding them a home. It is only 10 days, or they could be put down.

“I go to the pound a few times a week to get a feel for the dogs and make sure they go to the right home.

“At this time of year it is difficult to find spaces for the dogs because of Christmas coming and then in the new year you find a lot of dogs are dumped and the rescue homes are full.

“It is important to get these dogs re-homed as soon as possible and they are really good dogs.

“We are also in need of more volunteers who can help with walking dogs.

“We make sure the dogs are walked for an hour a day at the pound which is important.”

Anyone interested in re-homing a dog or becoming a volunteer should email swindonsneedydogs@gmail.

com or search for Swindon’s Needy Dogs on Facebook.