Northumberland Dog Rescue kick off 2023 off with a dip at Bamburgh beach raising cash for dogs in their care

Throughout the past few years the charity, which rescues and rehomes dogs in Northumberland, have been working especially hard as the number of dogs in their care has risen dramatically.

Recently, the charity was nominated as Bamburgh Castle's Charity of the Year. To celebrate, the team decided to make a begin 2023 with a splash on Bamburgh beach.

Thanks to the people who braved the sea, the charity managed to raise more than £1,400 to go towards supplies for the dogs in their care.

Lois Horton, team member at Northumberland Dog Rescue, said: “The amount of dogs needing to come into rescue is higher than ever. Since Covid, people have gone back to work and can no longer meet their dog's demands.

“Lockdown saw a high rise in the number of people getting dogs, however, these dogs weren't exposed to everyday things, such as traffic, other dogs and strangers. This lack of socialisation has caused many of them to develop behavioural issues which the owners cannot deal with.

“The cost of living is also playing a huge part in our requests to take dogs in. Owners are struggling with food and medical bills for their pets.

“A number of our current rescue dogs came in with quite severe fear and aggression, but with routine, consistency and dedication from our team these dogs are now trusting and loving towards our staff and volunteers. It has taken a long time, and prospective owners will have to have time and patience too.”

The charity have been working hard with Bamburgh Castle to plan fundraisers for the upcoming year. All of the money donated will go towards feeding and caring for dogs that have been rescued between Berwick and Newcastle.

Since the charity was funded, the team have successfully found hundreds of dogs their forever homes after rescuing them from the streets and unloving owners.

While the dogs are cared for by the charity, they are homed in comfortable kennels and get plenty of exercise on a large paddock and on walks with volunteers.