South Scotland Labour MSP Colin Smyth has paid tribute to the success of the Dumfries and Galloway Canine Rescue Centre on a recent visit to the centre- and urged local people to make it a point of call if they want to rehome a dog.
The local MSP, who is the Vice Convenor of the Scottish Parliament’s Animal Welfare Committee said the Centre had gone from strength to strength since a group of local people took over it over and re-opened it in March 2003 after UK Charity Dog’s Trust moved out of the site.
He praised the support given to the centre by the local community, from running the six charity shops the Centre have in the region in Annan, Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie, Dumfries, Newton Stewart and Thornhill to donating blankets for the dogs
Commenting on his visit Colin Smyth said, “I am grateful to the Dumfries and Galloway Canine Rescue Centre for showing me around their centre on my latest visit, the huge investment over the last 16 years since the local charity took over really stands out. The facilities are as good, if not better, than any other place in the country. I remember being involved in the campaign almost twenty years ago when the centre faced closure after the previous charity moved out. Local people took it over and it has gone from strength to strength ever since.”
“If anyone is considering a new pet I would urge them to make the Canine Centre a point of call. We read every day about people buying a new pet online and ending up with an animal bred on a puppy farm in poor conditions. Often the puppies have huge medical problems that can be hidden, and families don’t realise until it’s too late. They are either faced with huge vets bills or the animals themselves can be so ill, they die, causing heartache for their new family. However, any dogs rehomed from the canine centre in Dumfries have been fully assessed before they are rehomed.
The rescue centre serves the whole of Dumfries and Galloway but if space permits they can take dogs from England and from Northern Ireland to save them from destruction. The centre has a contract with Dumfries and Galloway Council to look after stray dogs while waiting to be reclaimed or they will rehome them if they aren’t claimed.
Last year the Centre celebrated the 4000th dog being rehomed.
