The owner of Greater Manchester‘s leading dog rescue centre has called it the “most depressing place on earth” at the moment after being overwhelmed with abandoned pets due to the rising cost of living crisis.
Dogs 4 Rescue – a semi-rural independent dog sanctuary based on Barton Moss Road – is known for its unique “cage free” approach to animal welfare, and carries out vital work across Greater Manchester to ensure all rescued dogs are socialised in a healthy, relaxed and happy foster home environment, while waiting for their forever families.
But recently, the shelter says its phone line has been ringing all day every day with people trying to leave their dogs due to worries about the cost of living.
Owner Emma Sheraton has called the current situation in the rescue world “unprecedented”.
Because of the rescue centre’s current capacity, Emma admits she ends most of her days in tears because she is having to turn so away dogs knowing their fate when she puts down the phone.
ADVERTISEMENT
“In the last month, we have seen six dogs returned after we have homed them as people are worrying more about the cost following the puppy boom during COVID, but previously, this level of return would only have happened across two or three years,” Emma explained.
“It has never been like this.”
ADVERTISEMENT
She continued: “I love my job but this is the most depressing place on earth at the moment.
“It is utterly soul-destroying because we know that we are having to turn away dogs that are going to be killed because there is nowhere for them to go, and I have to be honest, I broke the other day as we had to turn away a four-month-old puppy who I know would ordinarily be picked up soon.
“The reality is, I know that little boys’ fate – and I feel like I am failing them.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Dogs 4 Rescue currently has 50 places at its original state-of-the-art centre, but sadly, all of these are full, and despite the charity soon to open a new site – which followed a successful public fundraiser back in mid-2021 – with an additional 80 places for pups, staff are struggling to find time to set this up due to the main centre over-capacity.
This is why they are now pleading with local Greater Manchester residents to lend a hand and foster their dogs – with all costs and vet bills covered.
Emma continued: “Because nobody is taking any of our current dogs, we haven’t got the capacity to get in and make [the new site] ready, so we are pleading with everyone in the area to consider fostering our dogs.”
Emma says that dogs are social creatures which are better fostered in twos or threes to help keep each other busy, and she explained that all dogs come with leads saying “adopt me”, as well as information packs to help them “find their forever homes in communities more easily”.
The charity hopes the foster scheme will prove successful enough to allow the staff to get into the new site and open up more spaces for more dogs.
Find more information about fostering on the Dogs 4 Rescue website here.
You can also keep up to date with Dogs 4 Rescue day-to-day on social media – Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Package holiday company launches new flights from Manchester to European ‘hidden gem’
Emily Sergeant
An affordable package holiday company has launched new flights from Manchester to one of Europe’s so-called ‘hidden gems’.
If you fancy taking a trip to tiny country tucked away in the middle of two major continents, then Holiday Best, one of the UK’s newest holiday package operators – which also happens to boast the lowest deposit on the market at just £25 per person, too – has recently launched new package holidays to Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi.
Running in partnership with Turkish Airlines, the flights have now launched from a handful of major UK airports – including Manchester Airport.
And the best bit? There’s even trips available to book in time for the Easter holidays.
If you don’t know too much about Georgia’s capital city, Tbilisi was often once thought of as one of eastern Europe and the Asian continent’s “hidden gems” – but now, the picturesque place has become a truly modern and diverse city, with a hybrid of influences.
The old town of the capital is full of historic architecture, with a wide range of restaurants designed to make you fall in love with Georgian cuisine, while the outskirts are surrounded by the remote mountains of Svaneti – which some even say rival the Swiss and French Alps, not only in their beauty, but also in their hiking opportunities.
So it’s not hard to see why the city has cemented itself as a popular city break and holiday destination for many tourists, right?
Georgia’s capital Tbilisi is described as being a truly modern and diverse city / Credit: Nina Matcharashvili (via Unsplash)
If it sounds like a country up your street, and you’re keen to book yourself a well-deserved break away, then Holiday Best is currently running a deals for seven-night bed and breakfast stays flying from Manchester Airport, with 20kg baggage allowance and private transfers included – with prices ranging around the £925 mark per person.
A stunning range of four and five-star hotels in Tbilisi are included as part of this new Georgian package holiday offering, so there’s bound to be something in everyone’s budget.
These include the four-star Tbilisi Times Boutique Hotel, with its unique and memorable decor starting at £465pp, and the five-star Grand Tbilisi Metekhi Palace that has a rooftop restaurant and bar, as well as being known for its world-class service.
This company is looking to pay ‘young jetsetters’ to travel the world for FREE
Emily Sergeant
How would you like to travel the world for free? It’s not a bad offer, we’ll say that.
While we know it may sound a little too good to be true, especially for those who love nothing more than the feeling of hopping on a plane, leaving the typical often-dreary Greater Manchester weather behind, and stepping off into the heat of another country, but there’s genuinely a company out there that’s currently looking to pay young people to travel.
That’s right – leading youth, student, and adventure travel company KILROY has put out a call for ‘young globetrotters’ aged between 20 and 25 with a passion for content creation who fancy winning themselves, what can only be described as, “the trip of a lifetime”.
The company has launched a brand-new competition to hire one young British adventurer to join an international lineup of eight recruits for its revamped ‘Explorer Program’ – which is an extraordinary opportunity for budding nomads to bag a life-defining travel experience that’s worth up to €5,000 (or £4,280).
KILROY is looking to pay ‘young jetsetters’ to travel the world for free / Credit: Justin Besson | Dan Gold (via Unsplash)
The lucky young Brit will become KILROY ambassador, and get the chance to explore a range of experiences – including backpacking, volunteering, and group tours across the world over an unforgettable few weeks, all while sharing photos and videos from their adventure to KILROY’s website and social media channels.
Essentially, it’s like an all-expenses paid gap year.
South Korea, China, Argentina, Tanzania, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Fiji, and Vietnam are just some of the thrilling destinations the lucky winners could in with the chance of travelling to.
Chile, Cambodia, and Northern India are a couple more on the expansive destination list.
Fancy it then? If you’re aged between 20 and 25, and are keen to apply, then you’ll just need to “showcase your creativity, passion, and content creation skills” through a one-minute TikTok or Instagram video.
In the video, you’ll need to introduce yourself and your dream travel destination, and then share either an unexpected travel experience, unusual travel tips, tricks and hacks, or an existing or budding passion or skill.
Applicants must follow and tag the KILROY UK social media accounts – @kilroy_uk on TikTok and @kilroy_uk on Instagram – and include their name, age, and dream destination in the caption when posting their video, as well as the hashtag #explorerprogram2024 to enter.
All entries will need to be submitted by midnight on the 11 April 2024 to avoid missing out, and you can visit the ‘Explorer Program’ page on the KILROY website here for all the T&Cs.