In the Press: Introducing Give a Dog a Bone… and an Animal a Home
Give a Dog a Bone… and an Animal a Home was set up by Louise Russell in November 2013 with the aim of connecting elderly people in search of a pet and animals who desperately need a home. The charity can pay for rehoming fees and help with food and vet costs, as Louise explains:
“The charity exists to support the over 60’s to afford a rescue pet companion – helping individuals through loneliness and animals through homelessness. It’s important because it encapsulates two of society’s most vulnerable groups; the older generation and rescue animals. These two groups are hugely important to me. I love animals, I have several. I also love working with the elderly and I set aside my Friday afternoon each week to work as a carer, which I find to be hugely rewarding work.”
Getting a new furry companion can come with lots of benefits that go beyond just having a cute new pal to play with.
“For an older person, having an animal in the home gives them a reason to get up in the morning. It gives them routine in a day and someone to welcome them home. If their chosen animal is a dog, it gives them exercise and gets them out in the fresh air talking to people. Because you ALWAYS find someone to talk to when you have a dog! If money is a genuine barrier, the charity can pay the rehoming fee for any rescue animal and continue to support each month with a financial contribution which they can use to pay for pet food or pet insurance.”
Queen of multitasking, Louise juggles managing the charity with life as a working mum and her extra volunteer work.
“I manage the charity alone, on a volunteer basis. I run it in my spare time, as I am a working Mum. I have a handful of other volunteers who have specific roles – one looks after the Twitter account, another Instagram and I have an artist who designs Christmas cards for the charity. In September 2015 I was awarded with the Prime Minister’s Point of Light award, which recognises outstanding volunteers and those who are making a difference in their community.”
Social media has been key in spreading the word about the charity. Their feel-good feed is full of cute animals in need of a home, animals to sponsor and pics of pets and owners who have found each other. We dare you to have a browse without saying ‘aaaw’! “The Facebook page I run for the charity now has over 10,000 followers and, at one point, it was seen by over 1 million people in a two week period. The support I have on Facebook has been invaluable and the charity would not have achieved what it has done without this support.
“The future is all about raising awareness of how the charity can remove some of the financial barriers to an over 60s person adopting a rescue animal. I have recently campaigned for more care homes to give a rescue animal a home and this is something I hope to be more involved in going forward.”
If a person has a dog but has found they are unable to regularly walk them, Louise has helped match them with a trusty volunteer dog walker (call-outs for dog walkers can be seen on the popular Facebook page). So far, Louise has helped over 100 animals in different ways, including financially or finding a new home and is looking to help and support many more people and pets. Want to read more? Meet Lynda, who’s been helped by Louise and the charity. Could Give a Dog a Bone help you? Click here to see the Facebook page.
Give a Dog a Bone… and an Animal a Home was set up by Louise Russell in November 2013 with the aim of connecting elderly people in search of a pet and animals who desperately need a home. The charity can pay for rehoming fees and help with food and vet costs, as Louise explains:
“The charity exists to support the over 60’s to afford a rescue pet companion – helping individuals through loneliness and animals through homelessness. It’s important because it encapsulates two of society’s most vulnerable groups; the older generation and rescue animals. These two groups are hugely important to me. I love animals, I have several. I also love working with the elderly and I set aside my Friday afternoon each week to work as a carer, which I find to be hugely rewarding work.”
Getting a new furry companion can come with lots of benefits that go beyond just having a cute new pal to play with.
“For an older person, having an animal in the home gives them a reason to get up in the morning. It gives them routine in a day and someone to welcome them home. If their chosen animal is a dog, it gives them exercise and gets them out in the fresh air talking to people. Because you ALWAYS find someone to talk to when you have a dog! If money is a genuine barrier, the charity can pay the rehoming fee for any rescue animal and continue to support each month with a financial contribution which they can use to pay for pet food or pet insurance.”
Queen of multitasking, Louise juggles managing the charity with life as a working mum and her extra volunteer work.
“I manage the charity alone, on a volunteer basis. I run it in my spare time, as I am a working Mum. I have a handful of other volunteers who have specific roles – one looks after the Twitter account, another Instagram and I have an artist who designs Christmas cards for the charity. In September 2015 I was awarded with the Prime Minister’s Point of Light award, which recognises outstanding volunteers and those who are making a difference in their community.”
Social media has been key in spreading the word about the charity. Their feel-good feed is full of cute animals in need of a home, animals to sponsor and pics of pets and owners who have found each other. We dare you to have a browse without saying ‘aaaw’! “The Facebook page I run for the charity now has over 10,000 followers and, at one point, it was seen by over 1 million people in a two week period. The support I have on Facebook has been invaluable and the charity would not have achieved what it has done without this support.
“The future is all about raising awareness of how the charity can remove some of the financial barriers to an over 60s person adopting a rescue animal. I have recently campaigned for more care homes to give a rescue animal a home and this is something I hope to be more involved in going forward.”
If a person has a dog but has found they are unable to regularly walk them, Louise has helped match them with a trusty volunteer dog walker (call-outs for dog walkers can be seen on the popular Facebook page). So far, Louise has helped over 100 animals in different ways, including financially or finding a new home and is looking to help and support many more people and pets. Want to read more? Meet Lynda, who’s been helped by Louise and the charity. Could Give a Dog a Bone help you? Click here to see the Facebook page.
