BASILDON Dogs Trust feature on Alan Titchmarsh’s ITV show as they see a huge increase in dogs being left in their care. 

Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh is an ITV show which celebrates the British countryside and the work those do across the country. 

On Sunday morning, Basildon Dogs Trust appeared on the show as they took one of the programmes regular guests and vet, Dr Bolu Eso, for a tour around the centre. 

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In the show, Kelly McMaster, the rehoming centre manager, said how the past few years has been a storm for the charity. 

She said: “During Covid and lockdown we saw a huge increase and demand for people wanting to rescue dogs, because people were at home more.

“But now they have gone back to work, they can’t give the same commitment.

“So, we are finding dogs coming into us because of Covid, on top of the cost-of-living crisis, so it has been a storm.

“I have seen the demand for wanting to hand over dogs as much as it is right now.”

Despite this Kelly said they will always help to rehome dogs, and told Dr Bolu Eso, how every dog gets individually assessed the moment they arrive.

She said all dogs will start their journey in the intake block where staff will spend seven days with them getting to know the dog, including their behaviours, what they like, what they don’t like, and whether they have anything medically wrong with them.

Once complete, an assessment will be drawn up for what would be a suitable owner, before they are put up for rehoming.

On the show, Dr Bolu Eso met with a Greyhound, called Charmer, who was having hydrotherapy in the rehabilitation suite.

The five-year-old dog has issues with his leg due to an old racing injury, so the Dogs Trust team in Basildon have been doing hydrotherapy.

Charmer, who loves human company, is still waiting for the perfect owner to rehome him.

Another dog at the Basildon Trust, waiting to be rehomed, that Dr Bolu Eso met is Cherry.

Cherry is a Lurcher Cross, seven-years-old, and is an active dog that likes to be kept busy, mentally, and physically.

She is very friendly and happy to meet everyone here but can be quite excitable and jump up.

Dogs at the Basildon centre can either be temporary fosters or kept in the kennels at the centre while they wait to be rehomed.

Nicola Hodges, one of the foster volunteers, said on the show how fostering has helped many dogs settle before finding their forever home.

She said: “The last dog I had was very shy and had no confidence.

“But five months later she has found her forever home, is now full of confidence, plays with other dogs, and shares food.

“It is perfect.”

To watch the full show, you can catch up on ITVX.