Group seeks foster homes for pets of sick and elderly

Leigh Cats and Dogs home is one of the boroughs many boarding homes where pets can be left for weeks

“Social care animals Wigan CIC” has been launched to help combat the number of animals being left in kennels and catteries for long periods of time when their owners can no longer keep them.

The group is working with Wigan Council to help find foster homes for the animals whose owners will be in hospital or residential care for longer than six weeks.

“For any dog to be in a kennel for a long period of time is incredibly stressful and upsetting for them,” said a group spokesperson. “We discovered that pets of adult social care users going into homes were being boarded and being left for long periods of time.

“They weren’t getting the one to one interaction that animals need.”

The volunteer-led project has teamed up with the council to help identify the animals who are at risk of being left in a kennel or cattery for longer than six weeks and finding them a suitable foster home until their owner is well enough to be reunited.

Members of the group are visiting the establishments currently used by the town hall to temporarily board social care animals in order to check that the conditions are “suitable” for the pets.

The spokesperson added: “If someone is hospitalised we want to be able to get them to their animal or get the animal to them. We put them in contact with the foster carer so that they can get regular updates and photographs of their pet.

“It’s going really well so far. We only started talks at the beginning of the year. We have already rescued two dogs who seemed really unhappy.

“It’s fantastic to be able to work with the council and we are grateful for the good relationship we have established with them.”

The group is hoping to spend the next few months perfecting the scheme and linking more lonely animals with dedicated foster carers.

If the project continues to be a success they will then look at taking the model to other councils across the country.

Jo Willmott, Wigan Council’s assistant director for provider management and market development said, “We are working with a range of organisations who understand the importance of providing excellent care to people’s pets while they are unable to care for them themselves and doing everything possible to keep people in touch with their pets.”

Social care animals Wigan is working on launching a website for fosterers.