Dog charity celebrates century on the road

1 day ago

Driver Aimee Turner said Buddy's happy future began with a trip in the ambulance

A charity which helps to save more than 1,000 stray or abandoned dogs every year is celebrating 100 years on the road.

The National Canine Defence League - now the Dogs Trust - purchased its first ambulance in 1926.

Operating from a base in Penrith, Cumbria, the charity's vehicles transport unwanted animals to rehoming centres across the UK or into local foster care.

Each of its five ambulances is designed with the dogs' comfort in mind, and driver Aimee Turner said: "We give them time to settle and play classical music to help them relax."

With the UK home to about 38,000 strays, Dogs Trust ambulance drivers are often called upon to collect them from local authority pounds.

Operating from the Penrith transfer and logistics hub, the fleet of state-of-the-art vehicles cover up to 17,000 miles a week.

Lurcher puppy Maple was another unwanted dog whose life was transformed by the charity

Dogs Trust A black lurcher puppy, with a white patch on its chest, lying down with raised head. Its ears are pricked and it has a soulful expression. Around its neck is a yellow collar with a red bone-shaped name tag. — Lurcher puppy Maple was another unwanted dog whose life was transformed by the charity

Turner said: "Our ambulance service is essential to the lives of so many unwanted and stray dogs.

"After the trauma these dogs have faced, getting into the ambulance can be another distressing moment for them, but our vehicles are designed with the dogs' well-being foremost in mind, ensuring they are calm and comfortable on any journey.

"We give the dogs time to settle and play classical music to help them relax."

The modern vehicles are better equipped and offer a more comfortable ride than their predecessors

Dogs Trust Black and white photograph dating from the 1920s of a vehicle emblazoned with National Canine Defence League. Dog Ambulance. — The modern vehicles are better equipped and offer a more comfortable ride than their predecessors

She said she often thought about the "uncertain fates" the dogs had been saved from.

"Some dogs stay in your mind, like Buddy - he was frightened, barking in fear, and didn't understand what would happen to him next," Turner said.

"His happy future began with a trip in our ambulance, just like it does for many thousands of dogs that have been saved in the last 100 years, and that is a milestone worth celebrating."

The charity was formed in 1891.

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