One Paw At A Time Dog Rescue UK, Romania & China / Facebook
In England, a couple of volunteers who have founded an animal protection association is launching an SOS. Affected by the health crisis, the organization is at its wit’s end and on the verge of closing its doors. Meanwhile, dozens of dogs she has pulled from Chinese slaughterhouses are waiting for her situation to improve before being brought to the UK.
One Paw At A Time will likely have to give up their lofty dog rescue mission. The association can no longer cover its costs and has launched an appeal for donations, as reported by NottinghamshireLive on Wednesday 9 June.
Created in 2014 by Shaun and Shane Duffin , from Netherfield in the county of Nottinghamshire, it has rescued and placed around 1,500 dogs from shelters, kennels, the streets or abandoned.
One Paw At A Time Dog Rescue UK, Romania & China / Facebook
The couple had decided to embark on this adventure after rescuing and adopting a stray dog named Alfie themselves . They have 5 today, but take care of many others in parallel, working to find them new families in the area.
One Paw At A Time had even started to work beyond the borders of the United Kingdom. Shaun traveled regularly to China to rescue dogs there and organize their air transport to England to start their new life.
One Paw At A Time Dog Rescue UK, Romania & China / Facebook
40 dogs rescued from slaughterhouse waiting to leave China
However, the Covid-19 pandemic has passed that way. A few months ago, the association managed to save 46 canines that a truck was taking to the slaughterhouse. The animals had been entrusted to a reception structure while waiting to get them on board planes, but travel restrictions linked to the health crisis led to the situation being blocked.
Only 6 of these dogs made it to England. Their 40 congeners are still in China, although they were to be repatriated last February.
In the meantime, One Paw At A Time has to pay 4000 pounds per month (4600 euros) for the care of the quadrupeds. Air transport for a single dog cost around 750 euros before the pandemic, but that cost has since increased fivefold.
One Paw At A Time Dog Rescue UK, Romania & China / Facebook
Today, the association is financially deadlocked. Shaun and Shane both work full time, the first being a restaurant manager and the second assistant store sales manager. Most of their wages are swallowed up by One Paw At A Time .
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“ We don’t have enough sponsors to cover the boarding costs. We are on the verge of having to close if things don’t improve in the next few months, ” Shaun warns.
The association calls for the generosity and solidarity of donors; she created a pot on the GoFundMe platform in the hope of being saved, in order to continue to do the same for dogs in distress. </p
