Cardiff Dogs Home has been awarded a special grant after rugby star Sam Warburton helped launch a massive £500k refurbishment project.
The Rescue Hotel, a small group run by volunteers at the home to fund the work, has now received £30,000 from animal welfare charity Battersea Dogs and Cats Home giving them a huge boost.
All the cash will go towards the overall goal of £500,000 to refurbish the kennels, in a fundraiser headed by ex-Welsh international with the total currently standing at £117,000.
Trustee for The Rescue Hotel, Toria Acreman, said they were delighted to receive such a generous grant, which will help to replace 44 of the 30-year-old kennels in the home.
The old kennels have little privacy and can be stressful for the dogs. They are constructed from metal which has deteriorated over the years.
Renovations will include improvements to lighting, heating and drainage with sleeping platforms installed to keep dogs off the floor in cold months. The staff currently attach blankets to the inside of the kennels so the dogs are as comfortable as possible but solid walls will be installed.
A new meet and greet room will also allow prospective owners to be introduced and spend time with the dogs.
There are currently 27 dogs up for rehoming on the Cardiff Dogs Home website and they support up to 850 dogs annually, taking up to 1,000 strays, rescues as well as sign overs from Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.
The donation is part of the Battersea Grants scheme which supports smaller rescues and shelters.
Margaret Hulme, Grants Manager at Battersea said: “We hope that this grant will help make a real difference to the lives of animals.”
If you wish to make a donation yourself then please visit the Just Giving fundraiser page .
