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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Jilly Beattie

Incredible picture shows hundreds of dogs rescued by two Banbridge women

At first glance it's unclear what the image holds within its colours and swirls.

But on closer look it is obvious that each of the 1,700 tiny boxes contains the picture of a single pet, some having been abused and abandoned, others surrendered and many with no hope of a future when their photo was taken.

Today each of those dogs - and the cats included - know love and comfort in a new home where they have been living life with the security of having a family to care for them.

Read more: We list Northern Ireland pet rescue and rehoming groups

The montage has been collated by Paws and People, a small charity in Banbridge run by just two women, mother and daughter team Sharon and Nadine Weir.

They receive no government funding, make no profits and rely on sheer hard work, the good will of friends and public donations to help some of the country's most vulnerable pets who find themselves in dire need.

Billy Gillen said, 'Home would be home without Storm - one of the best decisions we ever made.' (Paws and People)

Since 2014 Sharon and Nadine have helped around 2,000 pets find their way into a home through the Paws and People charity and just some of them are included in the image.

And today those new families have exclusive membership of an unofficial picture quiz where owners spend time trying to spot their dog in the montage, before sending an updated photo to the charity's social media.

Sharon said: "We first opened our home to animals in 2014, and have been a registered charity since December 2015. Our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home unwanted and abused animals, to give animals that second chance at life.

"We are a closed door rescue, for the safety of the animals and the public so visits to our rescue are by appointment only and we have an application process to go through.

"When adopting from us there is a simple procedure to follow, firstly you can express your interest through calling us, emailing or contacting our Facebook page.

Lindsey White said, 'We wouldn't have had our beautiful furbabies if it wasn't for the work you do' (Paws and People)

"You will be required to fill in our online application form, after which an appointment to visit your potential new family member will be organised.

"After visiting if you wish to adopt we then carry out a home check and in some cases a background check. Once these are all passed you can then adopt your new family member.

Joanne Kimbley says her dog Bailey boots is a great girl who has fitted in perfectly to her family (Paws and People)

"There is a set rehoming fee for all our pups and dogs, all money goes directly towards the vet fees. All our rescue dogs are covered with our lifetime back up, should they ever need rehomed again they must be returned to Paws and People.

Clucks Hull said, 'Thank you for wee Sofie.' (Paws and People)

"We only rehome dogs to pet homes, they will not be used for working, hunting or breeding purposes. And we only we rehome in Northern Ireland as we always do our own home checks.

"For people living in rented accommodation we will need proof of landlord's permission to have a pet in the property before we start the process."

If you would like to help Sharon and Nadine through donation, click here and follow the link.

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