Dog lover gives up Christmas and birthday to spend day with homeless pups - The Stratford Observer

Dog lover gives up Christmas and birthday to spend day with homeless pups

Stratford Editorial 25th Dec, 2017   0

A DOG-loving volunteer is giving up Christmas Day, which is also his birthday, to spend it with homeless pups.

While most people will be opening presents or tucking into a roast dinner on December 25, Paul Bennett will be trading turkey for dog toys to help care for the 120 homeless hounds at Dogs Trust Kenilworth.

The 55-year-old from Balsall Common has also created 150 ‘doggy crackers’ filled with treats which he plans to hand out to the dogs on the big day.

Paul said: “Christmas is all about coming together with loved ones to celebrate, but for those dogs who don’t yet have a home, I wanted to bring a little bit of joy to their day and make sure they are included in the celebrations.




“Throughout the year we all work so hard to give the dogs the best possible time whilst they wait for their forever homes and I feel it’s especially important to do that over Christmas.

“The dogs don’t know it’s Christmas and we can’t offer them their own sofa or a roaring fire to relax in front of, we will be making sure they all feel special and don’t miss out on any of the fun.”


Once Paul is finished with his volunteering duties, he heads home to spend the rest of the day with his partner, his cat Foggy and guinea pigs Nigel and Thor, to celebrate the festivities and his birthday by enjoying a meal and exchanging gifts.

Paul added: “Just spending a few hours on Christmas Day at the rehoming centre gives me a warm feeling. I’m lucky to have a nice warm home to go home to, so it’s only fair that we can give the dogs the best Christmas possible whilst they wait for theirs.”

Dogs Trust Kenilworth has almost 200 volunteers and of 80 of them will be helping out over the festive period to ensure the dogs are happy and enjoy the festivities.

Volunteer co-ordinator Marie Charley said: “Our volunteers are a vital part of the team and we want to say a huge thank you to every single one of them for the invaluable contribution they make, all year round, but especially at Christmas.”

Anyone interested in volunteering can call 0300 303 0292 or pop into the centre in Honiley to find out more.

Public Notices

View and download all of the public notices in the Stratford Observer.

Advertising

Advertise with the Stratford Observer to reach your audience

Online Editions

Catch up on your local news by reading our e-editions on the Stratford Observer.

Announcements

Weddings, Birthdays, Bereavements, Thank you notices, Marriages and more.