MEAT MARKETS TO FOREVER HOME: CHARITY’S BID TO REHOME RESCUE DOGS
Written by Liam Charlton on 16th May 2023
A Northumberland charity wants to raise £3000 to rehome dogs rescued from the Chinese meat market.
Volunteers from first annual dog walk. Picture from DMT DRSG.
Dog Meat Trade Dachshund Rescue and Support Group Charity (DMT DRSG) is organising their third annual sponsored dog walk on June 4, with the proceeds helping to pay to bring the dogs to the UK.
The walk is open to anyone and their dogs and will go up and around Penshaw Monument and then around Herrington Country Park. the start time is around 11am.
Lora, a volunteer for DMT DRSG said: “The total for the dog’s flights will actually be around £10,000 and we are hoping to raise a third of it via the sponsored walks. The rest will be raised via our raffles, auctions, and events.
“It’s always a great day out, the volunteers/supporters/adopted dogs are all over the country so any time we can get together it’s always a great occasion. We expect around five of our rescued dogs to accompany their humans.”
The money raised from this year’s walk will help bring nine rescue dogs to the UK but that process has become harder and more expensive since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lora said: “The charity was formed during the pandemic and so that has been the biggest challenge in terms of the logistics as the transport regulations have changed a lot and been a lot more expensive than originally anticipated. The flights are our biggest outgoing as a charity.”
DMT DRSG was founded in May 2020, with the purpose of rescuing dachshunds from the meat trade in Asia. This also includes those found in Kill shelters and breeding facilities.
Lora said: “We are a small group of dedicated volunteers who just want to make a difference.
“To date 138 dogs have been saved, 106 are in their forever homes in the UK and the rest are in Asia awaiting their time to travel.
“Each dog can cost around £5000 from rescue to forever home. Once the dog is healthy and declared fit to travel they are flown to the UK and adopted into loving homes.
“Every penny we raise is entirely donations, so either through raffles, auctions, monthly sponsors, collection tins, selling charity merchandise, or attending events such as the North East Dog Fest. We haven’t been supported by any grant-giving organisations and everything we have raised is down to the hard work of our volunteers and amazing support network.”
To find out more about this years event or to donate visit: https://www.dmtdrsg.org or https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/bigstridesforlittlelegs2023
