The Families and Dogs Project - making a difference for dogs!

 

 The Families and Dogs Project is generously funded by the Kennel Club Charitable Trust. The aim of the programme is to help families experiencing difficulty or disadvantage to get the help they need for their dogs in order to improve the welfare and well being of their dogs. We provide education and support  as well as practical assistance concerning dogs needs, welfare and well being.

 

We do this by providing a home visiting/ assessment service and providing home based consultations, training programmes, practical advice and assistance. We also provide community based dog training classes on one estate for those who perhaps would not access other dog training activities.  

 

To date we have provided assistance in situations including:

 

 Transport to vets

 Spay /Neutering vouchers

 Dog training

 House rules and boundaries

 Advice about exercise regimes

 Dog walking

 Transport to groomers (where grooming is a welfare issue)

 Linking into other sources of support i.e. Cinnamon Trust, Blue Cross, Wood Green Animal Shelter, PDSA Scheme

 Part funding for dog training

 Advice re barking dogs

 

We have successfully worked with 60+ dogs from Jack Russells to German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Springers, Huskies and Border Terriers. Additionally, we have had hugely positive results, maintained dogs at home rather than be re-homed, stopped some dogs having pups through encouraging spaying/neutering, stopped one family being evicted due to their noisy dogs, and improved owners understanding of their dogs needs in most of the families we have worked with. We also rescued a bitch and 8 puppies most of whom would have died without our intervention, and took one sick dog for euthanasia rather than leave him to slowly die in his neglectful home.

 

Feedback from the families has been hugely positive and we have produced good outcomes for the dogs as well as their families. We have worked in partnership with local housing associations, social workers, RSPCA Inspectors, dog wardens, and local dog trainers and behaviourists.