Chesterfield Animal Rescue secures charity status as it reveals plans for a 'place to call home'

The non-profit organisation works with pet owners as well as councils to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome animals.

However, Chesterfield Animal Rescue does not have “a place to call home” or a “headquarters from which to run the rescue” and therefore relies on volunteers and fosterers who open their homes to abandoned pets until they are able to be adopted.

Following a successful bid to the Charity Commission, the organisation now hopes its new registered charity status will help it become a fully-fledged rescue centre in which it can provide residence to even more animals.

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Rachel Bradley, a trustee of Chesterfield Animal Rescue, said: "Ultimately, we need a rescue centre and we are fighting hard for that. We just need a rehabilitation centre which would enable us to save thousands more animals every year.

“Nine times out of 10 it’s not their fault they’re in rescue. It’s hard to say how much money we need for a centre… but we’re trying to raise enough to buy a property with enough land so we can expand.”

Aside from it’s expansion plans, Chesterfield Animal Rescue said it continually looking for fosterers to provide care for animals in need.

Rachel said: "We are always looking for more fosterers. It’s a lot easier if there are no other animals or children in the property because some of the dogs we take in can be quite scared but I wouldn’t put a bite-risk dog in a home, they would always have rehabilitation first.

"We have also taken dogs out of pounds, for example we recently rescued two dogs from Spain. They were in a pound and they were so scared nobody could get near them.

"They stood no chance at all of finding a good home over there so we were asked to help.”

She added: “We're all volunteers, nobody gets paid. That reward of seeing all the hard work pay off, I always say that’s our payment.”

To find out more or to donate to visit the Chesterfield Animal Rescue website.

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