How we’re responding to the Covid-19 outbreak to keep our staff, our supporters and our dogs safe - updated 12/05

18th March

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Page updated 12/05/2020 15:47 pm

These are unprecedented times and, like all organisations, we’re carrying on as best we can, giving the dogs currently in our care everything they need, whilst continuing to support dogs and their owners in the community, all within Government guidelines.

Since the Government guidelines came into place, we have been working closely with other animal organisations to figure out how we can all continue to do our vital work, whilst keeping our staff and our supporters safe.

Rehoming

Whilst our rehoming centres will remain closed to the public until further notice, we are now able to find some of our dogs new homes. We are also putting in place a new process that will allow us to help dogs who are most at risk of being put to sleep as a result of this crisis

Find out if you are dog ready!

If you need urgent help regarding giving up your dog, please contact us immediately and we will offer you as much advice and support as we can.

We’d like to reassure you that our wonderful staff will continue to provide the best possible care for our dogs, while avoiding any close interaction with each other. We’d like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to those individuals, who are doing everything they can to make sure our dogs get fed, walked and looked after.

We’d like to say a big thank you to you, for your continued support.

Shops

As of Friday 20th March at 5pm, our charity shops will also close. We ask that you please do not leave any pre-loved items for donation at our charity shops or rehoming centres. We look forward to receiving these items when things are back to normal, and we will update our website and social media channels as soon as we can start accepting pre-loved donations again.   

Dog School and events

In addition to these measures, all Dog School classes are currently suspended, and any public events due to take place have been postponed for the time being.

Shared Adoption Scheme

From March 18th, due to Coronavirus we need to change the way that we manage the dogs who may fall under the SAS. Please visit the Shared Adoption Scheme page if you have a dog under this scheme to find out what these changes are and what you may need to do.

Fostering

We have been completely overwhelmed by offers to foster our dogs, and thanks to you, we have been able to get many of our dogs in to foster homes! We do still have a small number of dogs who are looking for a very particular foster home, and for the time-being, we are only accepting applications from experienced dog owners who do not have any other pets or children in the home.

For anyone who has already applied to become a foster carer, thank you for your offer of support. Our Home from Home team will be in touch if there is a suitable dog for you.

If you would like to support us, we are still recruiting for foster carers for our Freedom Project. For more information visit www.dogstrustfreedomproject.org.uk

Volunteering

We have been overwhelmed with the offers of help that have flooded in over the last few weeks from members of the dog-loving public to volunteer with us and we’ve appreciated every single offer to help. However, based on the latest Government advice, we have not accepted any new volunteering applicants and have temporarily now closed applications for any new volunteers. We have also advised our existing volunteers to stay at home and keep safe for the time being. We are however, closely monitoring the situation and taking guidance from the Government as to how best to support our community of volunteers. 

Hope & Freedom Project

We are still continuing to run our vital services but with restricted resources and extra measures in place to ensure the safety of our staff, volunteers, service users and dogs. If you, or someone you are supporting, needs help or support through our Hope (support for dog owners who are homeless or in housing crisis) or the Freedom Project (pet fostering service for dog owners fleeing domestic abuse), please do get in touch with us directly and we will do all we can to help. More information about how to contact us about the Hope Project here, and the Freedom Project here.