Sir Gavin Williamson joined the All-Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group (APDAWG) at their parliamentary event to highlight the issues facing the rescue sector.
Sir Gavin attended the APDAWG’s reception and met with representatives from dog rescue charities, as well as rescue dog advocate and radio presenter Kirsty Gallacher.
Rescue centres across the country are facing over-population as a consequence of rising living costs and the abandonment of ‘pandemic puppies’. On average, it takes only four days for an animal shelter to fill up and approximately 250,000 animals go to rescue centres each year. At the same time, a recent YouGov survey revealed that 72% of the public are not planning to get a new pet.
Sir Gavin said: “It was great to meet with representatives from the dog rescue sector, which is struggling in the face of post-pandemic changes. I’m a huge animal-lover, and find it heart-breaking that so many dogs are sat in rescue centres rather than a forever home. I want to encourage anyone who can to consider re-homing a rescue dog, as they are such wonderful animals. I know of many excellent rescue centres in Staffordshire that I would encourage you all to support, such as Brighter Days Rescue in Penkridge or Birmingham Dogs Home in Coven.”
