“THEN THEY CAME FOR ME – AND THERE WAS NO ONE LEFT TO SPEAK OUT FOR ME.” This thought provoking quotation by Pastor Niemoeller is featured on the website of Safe & Sound , which is an organisation that offers refuge to death row pound dogs. 
This is Patch
Set up in 2011 by Angela Aston and Wendy Adler, the charity is now run by Angela and her fellow trustee Amanda White, who oversee day to day operations. A small registered charity Safe & Sound (reg. no. 1152935) works to save the lives of UK stray dogs also known as ‘poundies.’
As unclaimed or abandoned strays, these precious fellow creatures would face destruction without help.
Safe & Sound is primarily a coordinating rescue organisation, concentrating on ‘crisis management’ and working on the frontline dealing with dogs at immediate risk of death or serious harm. Sadly, many dogs needing rescue help fall through the net, due to a shortage of available kennels at existing rescue centres and ever shrinking council budgets, which mean there is little in the way of public funds available to help stray dogs requiring medical or behavioural assistance. The dogs who are saved by Safe & Sound are assessed and any medical requirements such as vaccinations are administered; those requiring extensive training before rehoming are moved to specialist kennels able to provide behavioural support. By working closely with other animal charities, many pound dogs are accepted into rescue centres for rehoming and further training and medical attention is continued.
One such charity working closely with Safe & Sound is HULA Animal Rescue (www.hularescue.org) An ex- pound dog, Greg Staffie was featured recently on our website when Greg Rutherford, Olympic gold medallist visited HULA for Greg Staffie’s naming occasion.
Another ex pound dog, Arthur, was also available for rehoming at the same time. Both these wonderful dogs have now been placed in their forever homes.
“You only have one day left” I heard the worker say.
Does that mean I have a second chance? Do I go home today?”
QCA would draw attention to the essential service and work being undertaken by organisations trying to improve the chances of these forgotten and often overlooked pound dogs.
Safe and Sound – Finding Refuge for Death Row Pound Dogs Registered Charity No: 1152935
www.safe-and-sound.org facebook.com/SafeNSoundpounddogs
~Joan How, QCA Membership Secretary.