It’s going to be a game changer, says manager with ‘the best job on Cardiff council’
NEW kennels are hoped to bring much needed relief to Cardiff Dogs Home, which is currently receiving about 40 requests a week to house new dogs.
Work on the kennel extension is expected to start next month and for Maria Bailie, manager of the council-run facility, the timing could not be better.
At its peak last year, the home was keeping dogs in their corridors, and even the staff office, as well as having a number of others in foster care.
“The new kennels will be quieter. They’ll have temperature control and noise control. Fewer dogs will be disturbed when we’re taking other dogs out. It’s going to be a game changer,” she said.
“At the moment, if we get a 40kg dog, most of our kennels aren’t big enough.”
Over the past year, the home has taken in 500 dogs. Demand for spaces has remained high since 2022, something Ms Bailie blames on the pandemic.
“A lot of people got dogs and gave them fantastic homes, but we see the other end of it,” she said.
Puppies bought during Covid became unmanageable for some people as they grew. Owners went back to work and some dogs raised during lockdown didn’t learn how to mix, leading to behavioural problems down the line.
The cost of living crisis has also played its part.
“If people can’t afford pet insurance, which is not cheap, they can’t afford vet bills. Then they want to give their dogs up, and it’s pricing people out on lower incomes,” said Ms Bailie.
Volunteers support the work of the dogs’ home, alongside the affiliated Rescue Hotel charity, which raises money and generates publicity by collaborating with celebrity ambassadors.
Working from home, volunteer Zara Cosslett regularly uses her lunch breaks to take the home’s dogs on walks and even takes half days on Fridays to spend more time with them.
Ms Bailie plans to build secure exercise areas across the city to give the owners of more sensitive dogs land where they can safely roam free in a fenced-off space.
The dogs’ home also has its own vet service offering affordable care. It is open for only part of the week, but Ms Bailie hopes that with another vet, they could offer a seven-day service.
The team works hard to ensure no dog ends up on the street. The home sends wardens to pick up dogs before it looks like they will be dumped, but they can only do this when there’s space.
“Anybody who rings us asking to take in a dog is in the position where they don’t want the dog,” said Ms Bailie.
“If we don’t take them, those dogs can end up with stray dogs from around the street because they can be dumped.
“We had a lovely Rottweiler puppy brought in a couple of weeks ago. He was dumped by the side of a bridge near a river, and we thought there may have been an intention to drown him.
“We had another dog back before Christmas. He was dumped in a bin in Rumney.”
Ms Bailie describes the dogs home’s work as “almost like an extension of the social services”, as they often work with social workers to re-home dogs suddenly left without owners.
“You’ve got people fleeing domestic violence, who are going into temporary accommodation. They can’t take their dog with them, which is awful because they’re at rock bottom anyway and then they’ve got to give their dog up at the same time.”
Illegal breeding is also a major problem in Cardiff. The dogs home regularly taking in French bulldogs due to an illegal breeding programme that is unprecedented in other cities.
Dogs that aren’t sold are at risk of being dumped.
“Last summer there were people walking around Cardiff with dalmatian puppies in their hands trying to sell them,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Ms Bailie always tells people that she’s got the best job on Cardiff Council – rehoming so many dogs with new owners.
- Cardiff Dogs Home has a number of dogs looking to be rehomed. Details can be found on its website.
