Causeway Coast Dog Rescue volunteers train with world famous Battersea Dogs and Cats Home

Charity chair Margaret Dimsdale-Bobby said: “It is important we keep on top of our knowledge and developments in dog rescue and rehoming, so we have developed a relationship with Battersea in London and achieved the ‘City and Guilds for Intense Dog Rescue and Rehoming’ Certificate.

“Since successfully completing the course, another Trustee and I have been to London to meet with Battersea’s key personnel to gain insight to their rescues and rehoming centres and learning from our differences such as policies and procedures, so we understand best practice in animal welfare.

“We are in the process of finalising a planning application for a new facility on the north coast, and we want to ensure we have as much detail to what others are doing to provide the best possible care and attention for the dogs that we rescue.”

Maggie continued: “We are all at bursting point, with waiting lists getting bigger by the day.

“Sadly, we are also experiencing an increased number of reports from the public witnessing cruelty which is heart-breaking, but we do our best to support them, as this is traumatizing for both the public and our volunteers.

“At CCDR while we continue to rehome dogs, even though we are experiencing a reduction in the demand for adopting a dog, we are also looking at developing projects with Battersea to how we can support other dog rescue charities in Northern Ireland, how we can work with councils in animal welfare to understand the demands we are all facing, and what we can do to improve animal welfare for the future.

"We believe every dog deserves a second chance and will continue to work towards developing a safe and secure environment while we work through the adoption process for every dog needing a forever home.”

For more information on dogs available for rehoming, go to CCDR Facebook @causewaycoastdogrescue. Anyone interested in providing a ‘forever home’ should contact CCDR on 07595602702.