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We need your help to spread the word for all the homeless cats and dogs who are looking for their new family and fresh start!
Maybe you could display one of our posters in your local shop or post office, you could even take them to work to display in your staff room The quicker we can find homes for these vulnerable cats and dogs, the quicker we can start helping others that need us too.
You can keep checking for updated versions and download our posters here – www.rainrescue.co.uk/display-our-posters
Have you seen our latest newsletter?
Find out who our newbies are, great gifts for your Mum this Mother’s Day and even why our field is currently closed for hire!
Check it out here – https://mailchi.mp/rainrescue/will-you-display-one-of-our-posters
Our latest newsletter is an update on all the cats and dogs still looking for their new homes, including our furry friend Ziggy.
Ziggy is an older chap who wants nothing more than to find his retirement home. He has so much love to give and would like to live with someone who has the time to spend with him.
You will also find in our latest newsletter:
- Our gift aid declaration for you to add 25% extra to your donations
- More ways to donate, whether that be a monthly donation or by donating a night of care to a cat and a dog
- A great offer for Natusan Cat Litter. Just £5 for a 10 litre bag off sustainable cat litter!
- And, finally a sad update on our brave boy Merlin who recently had to cross the rainbow bridge
Make sure to sign up to our newsletter, so you do not miss out on any future news or updates at Rain Rescue (Sign up in the section just below the news on our homepage).
You can also read & subscribe to our latest newsletter here:
We are sure many of you would have seen the Panorama documentary about Dogs, Dealers and Organised Crime that was aired by the BBC on the 23rd of January.
If you didn’t catch it, you can watch the episode here – https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001hjbw
This was a big eye opener for us and we already work within animal welfare, so we are glad this was aired to show everyone the problems involving dog breeding and animal welfare right now.
In 2021, 69,000 Bulldog type puppies were registered for sale in the UK – that’s just one specific breed of dog, not to mention thousands more of different breeds.
Many dogs are being bred as part of a money making scheme, not thinking about the welfare or health of these animals. Which may result in them being unwanted, abandoned and left on the streets to fend for themselves or even being euthanised before they even have the chance at a good life!
We understand not everyone breeds dogs with exaggerated features for sale purposes but breeding in general is causing great strain on rescues and animal welfare in general.
We have seen an increase in unwanted dogs each year, based on the ones that solely arrive at Rain Rescue.
In 2021, we rescued 66 dogs
In 2022, we rescued 84 dogs
And this year alone, up to the 24th of January, we have already rescued 11 dogs
If we continue taking in around 11 dogs each month until the end of 2023, we will be rescuing around 132 dogs… This is double the amount in 2021!
With more unwanted animals than ever before, especially with the current cost of living crisis, comes more cost and strain on animal welfare and rescues like us. Each animal brought through our gates requires veterinary attention, food, shelter, time and care.
If we can do only one thing this year, we would ask, please stop breeding animals, and adopt unwanted vulnerable animals instead. We try not to turn anyone away and it breaks our hearts knowing how many we have on our list still waiting to come in, but we are simply full to capacity and cannot do anymore than we already do!
If you are in a position to help us, we would be forever grateful! Your support means we can continue helping as many animals possible that need rehoming through no fault of their own 
https://rainrescue.co.uk/donate/
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Keep up with all things Rain Rescue when you sign up. From animals ready for adoption, happy updates from animals that found their happily ever after or how you can help Rain Rescue in the future.
This weeks email reminds you of our beautiful girl Star, still waiting for her fur-ever home. It also includes updates on Hilda the Greyhound, stray Mum Sabrina and her new kittens born at Rain Rescue and a lovely cat, Tiger, who was brought to us but then happily reunited with her owner!
https://rainrescue.co.uk/animals/star/
Read & sign up to our latest newsletter here:
We would like to wish you all a Happy New Year and a great start to 2023!
Looking back on 2022, it was a crazy year and we are expecting 2023 to be just as busy, if not busier. It may be busy, but we also have so many exciting things planned, and after all it is a fresh start to try to help even more animals than last year!
We are proud to have helped so many animals and we will continue that into 2023 too. Our team work tirelessly 7 days a week and we will not stop or work any less, because if we did the 260 cats and 84 dogs that came through our gates looking for homes last year, would not have had the help or chance at a better, happier life. This is why it is so important that we continue doing what we always have with the amazing support from you too.
Thank you for all your support throughout 2022, we would not be able to do the work that we do without your support and generous donations! In 2023, we are wishing for homes, happiness and more homes for all animals in need and we hope you stick along for the journey too.
Lots of love from the Rain Rescue team x
We are currently recruiting for an Animal Carer to join our growing team!
Department: Welfare Operations
Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S66 1DZ
Hours: 40 hours per week (08:00-17:00) – 5 days out of 7 rota, covering weekends
Salary: £19,500-£24,000 (depending on experience)
Qualifications:
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Worked in a kennel or cattery workplace environment: 2 years (Required)
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Driving Licence (Required)
ABOUT THE ROLE
The role reports to the Kennel & Cattery Lead and is responsible for the general day-to-day care of animals during their time at the centre. They ensure the safety and welfare of the dogs and cats in our care, engaging with members of the public and continually providing excellent customer service to optimise animal and customer journeys. The role will be expected to work cross-functionally in both the Cattery and Kennels.
Animal Intake:
- Ensuring a compassionate, empathetic, non-judgemental approach is taken with all members of the public needing to relinquish a cat or dog
- Arrange and conduct intake assessments
- Maintain accurate admission paper and electronic records in line with agreed procedures
Animal Care:
- Responsible for the welfare of animals in the Charity’s care, ensuring the highest standards of care are given at all times, in line with ADCH Code of Practice and the Charity’s guidelines and considering the individual needs of each animal
- Responsible for the day-to-day care of all animals, including the cleaning and maintenance of accommodation, feeding, exercising, socialisation and enrichment
- To work closely with all members of the welfare team regarding the progress of animals in our care, always keeping in mind the ultimate goal of rehoming
- Responsible for delivering the agreed training and behaviour interventions to applicable animals
- Uphold RCVS standards and conform to welfare and veterinary procedures for the administration of all medication conforming to legal requirements including the storage and handling of drugs and disposal of waste.
- Maintain accurate paper and electronic records in a timely manner, ensuring animal information is recorded in line with agreed processes and procedures
- Responsible for conducting behavioural assessments in line with agreed procedures
- To monitor the health and wellbeing of the animals, ensuring that any animal illness, injury or behaviour issues are recorded and reported immediately to the Kennel & Cattery Lead or
Welfare Operations Manager in their absence
- Carry out veterinary visits as appropriate
- Responsible for ensuring vet visits and instructions are carried out as necessary. To cooperate with the vet in respect of the examination and treatment of animals including ensuring that treatments and medications are administered in the prescribed quantity at the specified intervals
- To ensure all veterinary advice is followed exactly, monitoring progress and identifying and flagging any relevant changes uncovered in the animals health before and after medication
- To ensure all animals have the required medication and treatment in line with standard procedures, including correct timing of neutering, vaccination, flea and worm and microchipping
Animal Rehoming:
- Positively promote rehoming, be knowledgeable of the rehoming procedures, giving advice to those wishing to rehome a pet and assist customers with any homing enquiries, providing accurate information to ensure a thorough matching process is adhered to at all times
- Conduct adoptions alongside the Welfare Coordinator, covering a high level of customer service and a thorough matching service.
- Oversee introductions between our animals and potential owners existing pets
- Recommend when an animal is ready for rehoming and carry out necessary preparations
- Provision of photographs/videos and promotional content in preparation for rehoming
- Ensure all animals available for homing are advertised in a positive and professional manner, focusing on evidence based matching criteria
- In conjunction with the Kennel & Cattery Lead, promote and implement optimum ‘Length of Stay’ so no animal is in our care longer than necessary
Other Duties:
- Maintain high standards of work at all times
- Provide effective and compassionate customer service
- Ensure all areas of the centre are kept hazard free, clean and tidy at all times
- To work alongside other members of the team, including volunteers providing support as appropriate
- To attend relevant training and personal development opportunities to fulfil requirements of the role
- Ensuring and considering the cost-effectiveness of all operations and activities
- Ensure that cash control and handling procedures are fully adhered to
- Deal with public enquiries in a timely and professional manner, including but not limited to: telephone enquiries, emails, social media and visitors to the centre
- Positively promote and contribute to centre fundraising activities at all times
- Adhere to all Rain Rescue policies and procedures
- Carry out other duties relevant to the post as directed by the Kennel & Cattery Lead or other members of the centre Leadership team or Board of Trustees
ABOUT YOU
The ideal candidate will have a love of dogs & cats and a passion to help match them into the right new home, with an understanding of animal behaviour and a desire to learn more. You will have experience of working in a similar role and be comfortable in an environment where no two days are ever the same and sometimes tough decisions are needed. You will be hard-working and reliable and possess a passion for animal welfare and an empathy with people. You will have excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to prioritise workloads and have eective time management.
Required knowledge, skills and experience:
- Full clean driving licence
- Ability to work constructively and collaboratively with all colleagues and volunteers across the centre
- Understanding of The Animal Welfare Act and behavioural issues
- Sound awareness and understanding of medical and behavioural problems and issues and how they may be displayed in a rescue environment
- Ability to care for cats and dogs from a range of different backgrounds, competently and safely handling them using the appropriate methods
- Experience working in the charity sector, preferably in animal welfare
- Understanding of rescue centre operations and ability to implement safe procedures
- Professional and empathetic customer service skills
- High attention to detail for accuracy and welfare considerations
- Good communication and relationship building skills
- Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and written
- Confident IT skills and good organisational and decision-making skills
Personal attributes:
- Responsible
- Trustworthy
- Compassionate
- Adaptable
- High level of Integrity and attention to detail
- Dynamic
- Resilient
If you would like to apply, please do so via the following link – https://uk.indeed.com/job/animal-carer-dogs-and-cats-welfare-56e535db268e2bd0?fbclid=IwAR3kyZKhh8E7FbjN33CGeB5wuevjZIWN699yv7YxD82UsRQwiFPOHDSTM88
We had such a great evening at Julz Boutique Winter Wonderland Fashion Show last month… which raised an amazing total of £1350 for Rain Rescue!!
The Lyric Theatre in Dinnington did a great job setting up the venue – Thank you! It looked great, the staff were so friendly and accommodating & the room was a perfect size. We would definitely recommend for anyone local looking for a venue to hire.
Thank you to Julia for organising such a fantastic event, the clothes in the show were amazing! Not to forget all the gorgeous models that took the time to model the wonderful clothes too. Also the lovely ladies in So Burlesque were unreal in their performances too!
To everybody that organised, took part & attended… thank you very much! It’s down to amazing people like you that we can continue to help homeless and vulnerable animals each year x
We have been working harder than usual recently, not only helping many animals in need find homes & families, but also preparing all things Christmas too! Our dedicated Christmas shop is now live, where you can shop Christmas Cards & 2023 Calendars. All profits will be used to continue providing care, food & shelter to the cats & dogs here.
Did you know you can also buy our animals a Christmas dinner to make there Christmas that little bit more special? You can choose whether you’d like buy a Christmas dinner for 1, 2, 5, 10 or 20 animals.
We also have a Christmas Newsletter now too! Full with wonderful stories of the work we do here and how your contributions help us continue to change the lives of vulnerable animals that need us.
Thank you to everybody that organised, took part & donated to the Steel Paws Festival at Corporation Sheffield on Saturday the 8th of October.
Steel Paws Festival 2022 raised a total of £2025.09 for Rain Rescue! The time, effort & generous donations do not go unappreciated! This will help so many cats & dogs in need… THANK YOU 😀
We would like to say a big thank you to Croft Vets for organising a Charity abseil last weekend. The event was organised to raise funds for ourselves & Dunroamin K9 Rescue. We work very closely with Croft to help us care for any animals that need vaccinations, neutering or any other medical requirements.
Thanks to Croft, all the brave people that took part in the abseil & all the generous people that donated – the event raised around £1400 for our Rescue Centre.
It’s thanks to people like these that we can continue providing the care, love & support these animals need for happier lives.
Our plea about the Cost of Living Crisis was picked up and reported on by the Sheffield Star and we welcomed Errol to the centre where he took some amazing photos and videos of the dogs and cats looking for homes, and a couple of our lovely team.
Times are tough in rescue, and very hard at the moment, with signs, it’s going to get even worse.
Our online and offline supporters are what keep us here day by day, year by year – for the last 20 years, and looking forward to being here to help in the next 20.
Thank you to our supporters – keep with us! it’s a bumpy ride ahead.
WARNS THE RISING COST OF LIVING IS LEADING
TO A NATIONAL ANIMAL WELFARE CRISIS
ANIMAL CHARITIES ALREADY SEEING THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE RISING COST OF LIVING
Rain Rescue fears this is the start of an animal welfare crisis caused by a rise in pet ownership rates colliding with cost-of-living pressures. The charity, along with other ADCH members and non-members are seeing an increase in animals coming into its care with many centres already full and others close to capacity, as rehoming slows down and more people are looking to give up their pets.
The Rain Rescue team have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, helping 430 cats and dogs in 2021. Since the start of 2022, Rain has rehomed 238 cats and dogs as well as neutered hundreds of cats with their Snip and Chip project. With a waiting list of over 100 cats and 42 dogs, Rain Rescue are at capacity. The charity is experiencing a reduction of over 35% in their donation income as people feel the impact of the rising cost of living but are experiencing an increase of over 50% in vet fees costs. Rain Rescue sees a worrying future for these pets.
Recent research by the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH) shows that demand for rescue dogs has declined in the past year while the number of dogs being abandoned is higher in 2022 than 2021 and 2020. The cat population was at pandemic proportions prior to covid, and this has continued throughout it now, post-pandemic, cats are being abandoned at an alarming rate. Abandoned cats will continue to breed from 4 months of age and usually, full of disease and illness, die a painful and pitiful death on the street.
70% of ADCH member rescues surveyed, report an influx of dogs with behavioural issues. This is in line with studies indicating that inexperienced dog owners are giving up dogs they acquired during the lockdown and are now unable to care for, due to a variety of factors.
Halita Obineche, Executive Director of ADCH, said: “There was a huge surge in people getting pets in lockdown and we are dealing with the fallout. Inexperienced owners unable to manage pets with behavioural issues caused by poor training and a lack of socialisation; workers returning to the office; and now the rising cost of living, all combining to create a national animal welfare crisis.
“Our members emerged from lockdown struggling with a lack of funds and a dearth of experienced staff. They are overburdened – both in terms of space and the emotional toll of dealing with an epidemic of dog abandonment.”
Within the U.K, 10.2 million people own a dog. The public and U.K. and European puppy farmers were quick to meet those demands for more puppies as prices escalated over and above those ever seen before. The PDSA PAWS 2022 REPORT states that 34% of people bought their dog from a breeder, 23% bought from a private sale, 14% bought from a rescue centre and 6% imported one. The report states that 640,000 dogs were legally imported. Shockingly, out of the 11.1 million people who own a cat, there are very few statistics of the number of cats bought in the U.K. but even though the U.K. is overloaded with unwanted cats, there was an increase to 6% of cats imported with a figure of 590,000 legally imported.
During the pandemic, as vets struggled under the volume of newly acquired pets along with the pandemic and ever-decreasing vets, many of these pets haven’t been vaccinated. and many rescue centres and vets are reporting higher incidences of potentially fatal contagious diseases like Parvo Virus and Distemper being seen and escalating. Diseases which are preventable with vaccination.
Now, a high proportion of those pets are unwanted and owners attempting to sell or rehome them. They hope that rescue centres can simply take them off their hands and somehow manage to improve the behaviour these under-socialised dogs have. Rescue centres simply cannot cope with these volumes of numbers of unwanted pets and say that rescue centres should not be seen as the solution.
Rain Rescue and other ADCH members are asking the public to help them.
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- SHARE the news that rescue centres should not be seen as the first solution to them not wanting their pet anymore.
- SEEK a reputable BEHAVIOURIST from eg. https://www.imdt.uk.com/ and https://www.apbc.org.uk/
- ADVISE people to find solutions to keep their pet
- EDUCATE people to STOP BREEDING MORE DOGS AND CATS
- DONATE to Rain Rescue to ensure that we have the funds to keep on helping the truly homeless pets that need us.
ENDS
For further information or to arrange an interview please contact Jacquie Neilson, 01709 247777/3, info@rainrescue.co.uk.
Notes to Editors
About RAIN RESCUE
- In our 20th year of helping cats and dogs, we need support to ensure we are here for the next 20 years. In the last 20 years, we have helped over 5000 cats and dogs. At this rate of increased abandonment, the next 20 years will see a further 9000 dogs and cats asking for our help.
About the Association of Dog and Cat Homes
- The Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH) is the umbrella group and leading representative charity for dog and cat rescue and rehoming organisations across the British Isles.
- ADCH promotes best practices in animal welfare for dogs and cats. Members encompass charities of all sizes, from the smallest to the largest, plus some Individual members, so the number of people involved measures many thousands.
- ADCH was founded in 1985 with the purpose of developing good practices in the rescue and rehoming of dogs and cats.
- ADCH hosts the UK’s largest animal welfare Annual Conference, welcoming 500 delegates a day over two days.
- Visit www.adch.org.uk for further information.
- ADCH Registered charity no: 1180574
- ADCH Contact Details: Executive Director, Halita Obineche (halita@adch.org.uk; Therese Davall, Member & Administration Manager (therese@adch.org.uk)
Making your will is sensible planning for your pets, your children and your hard-earned funds. If people pass away without leaving a will, it is usually difficult for those left behind.
Do you know where your money would go if they couldn’t find an heir? It goes to the Crown!
Without a will. Who would look after your pets? Just recently. Someone passed away. Left all their money to a charity but left no instructions for their dog and cat? The charity couldn’t take them. So. The pets were left with no funds and nobody to care for them. That surely wasn’t the lady’s intention. She loved her pets.
Your will isn’t just to leave your money in the right place. Your will is to leave the right proportion of funds to the right people. Your children and your pets will have what you intend to set aside for their future. Charities benefit as they can be advantageous for tax purposes too.
Rain Rescue has searched for the easiest way for you to make your estate planning simple. It can be done. For FREE, Online and in your own home. If you need help. There is both telephone and in-person support.
Please. Don’t leave it any longer. It’s quick and simple to do and ensures your ideas today are carried out after you’ve gone.
When it comes to the middle of their mission – well world – they do their bit with compostable packaging. But making even more of a difference. They buddy up with different charities and support them in their missions too.
Sealions have chosen RAIN RESCUE to support, with a donation from each of their super low priced products to give to our charity.
THANK YOU SEALIONS FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
Rain Rescue’s centre here in Wickersley, Rotherham has been a hosting centre for The Pet Blood Bank charity for the past 12 months, and when they visited us in May, our wonderful greyhound JAI was a very willing donor.
When donors book their appointments to come and donate their dogs blood, they are really helping to save a dogs life and here at Rain Rescue, that is part of our ethos. Helping to save lives.
Hopefully JAI will have found his new home by the next time they come to the centre, but we are hoping his new owners will be able to bring him back for being a regular donor.
Read and see if you and your dog can help to save a life on their website https://www.petbloodbankuk.org/
For those of you who have followed Rain for a long time, you will remember little Yogi, this little dog that we got out of the put-down pens in a pound, awaiting his fate of being put down on Monday.
Steve brought him home, and we bathed his wounds and sores and helped him to trust people again. Yogi never left and lived with Jacquie and Steve and saw so many dogs come into Rain and into their home too – as he accepted them all, ate whatever biscuits he could steal, and enjoyed life.
He’s seen the passing of Auntie Linda and Bronte, Mabel and Jerry all very close friends who now will have welcomed Yogi into their arms and hopefully sharing their supper with him.
Yogi has lived with Annie and Jack in London where he’s been at some big name film sets, and met some great actors – taking it all in his stride – he’s wagged his tail and sniffed around for biscuits, and then back into his little bed for a snooze and dream about the good life. He’s been out in the van on trips around the country – walks and photo shoots and when he’s had enough, he’s been back packed and watched the world go by.
Yogi had so many coats and beds and cuddles, he has been so massively loved by them and everyone he has met – but after catching this horrid bug at the weekend, over the last few days he went down too quickly and today he decided he had had enough, and passed over the bridge to see his old friends.
Dogs like Yogi are why Rain Rescue does what it does. Helping those who were thrown out and unloved and at the brink of death – bringing them back into the warmth and into love and we are so proud to have been able to do that for so many hundreds of little lives over the years.
Sweet Dreams little man – we will all so miss you but we know you will never leave us. You are Rain Rescue and your memory will always carry on. xx
Here are two images of Yogi when he first arrived in our care. He was in such a bad way. We are so grateful that we could turn his life around, and give him a second chance. Thank you for supporting Rain so that we could save his life.
Our very own Gizmo’s rescue story has been featured in The Star newspaper! 
A spirited old Jack Russell, he is now settling into his forever home with our very own volunteer Pat Davey and is loving life again.
A spirited old Jack Russell, he is now settling into his forever home with our very own volunteer Pat Davey and is loving life again.Read more here: https://www.thestar.co.uk/…/dog-missing-35-teeth-gets…
We are proud to feature in the Rotherham Advertiser, celebrating the success of our “Twelve Days of Christmas” appeal video launched in December.
In Case you missed it –
Thank you to every kind person that supported the appeal to provide tasty dinners for all of the cats and dogs in our care! We cannot continue our vital work without you. 
We were very excited to be featured as a news story on Look North on 6th January 2021. Our cattery manager Robyn discussed the increased pressure and challenges we have faced since Covid began. Since the pandemic began, stray cats have been breeding uncontrollably on the streets & spreading feline diseases and we’ve been working at full capacity, doing all that we can to help every stray cat that needs us.
Watch the video to learn more: https://youtu.be/C-000DJJKSU
As we say goodbye to 2021, I think, “Thank goodness and good riddance.” It’s been a year of hardship and pain, with lots of stress and a lot of pain. We see so much sadness, some days you wonder why you do it, but then, you have a chat with a new adopter, a volunteer, or one of the team, and realise you really make a difference every day for pets and people. Not everyone gets to see these waggy tails and cute purrs that we do as part of our day whilst we find great homes for those that have not had such a great time too.
Often, rescue can feel like the loneliest job on earth. Then, some kind person applies for the cat that’s been waiting for weeks, and it’s perfect for them. We’ve made that person happy, the cat with a big grin and for us, it’s a great day. The dog that you think nobody will ever come for has an application, and you smile – this one could be it. We have such a wonderful team of staff and volunteers that really do make each day a great day – I personally couldn’t wish for a better team to be working with every day, quietly helping vulnerable pets that have nobody else.
You – our incredible supports – have been with us throughout all this time. Recently, you’ve helped by buying cats and dog dinners throughout the festive season and it means we can keep going. That’s how we have helped the 311 cats and 66 dogs that we have done during 2021. YOU are part of their journey.
So, GOODBYE 2021 – and HELLO 2022, as we start our “KEEP THEM WARM THIS WINTER” appeal, we know you are with us along the way. Keep with us, keep helping – It’s going to be a great year.
– Jacquie Nielson, Founder & CEO
