A team from online electricals retailer AO has helped to revamp a dog rescue centre in Manchester, offering free labour and giving away free appliances, the company has said.
According to a press release, the online retailer heard that local animal shelter, Dogs4Rescue in Irlam, Manchester, was calling out for support from local businesses and offered a helping hand.
Eleven members of AO’s brand and marketing team took part in one of the firm’s Make a Difference days, which enables employees to give back to the community by volunteering with a charity or good cause.
The team began their charitable day by taking the sanctuary’s new puppies out on their very first walk since arriving at the rescue centre from Bulgaria, just days before.
The AO team then spent the rest of their day working tirelessly, carrying out various cleaning and gardening jobs in the dogs’ adventure playground.
As well as painting fences, benches, outdoor play equipment and the doggy sandpit, the team also helped with weeding the garden to revitalise the space, and to make it an attractive and enjoyable place for the dogs to play in, AO said.
In addition, after learning that Dogs4Rescue are soon planning to open their newly acquired, 41-acre site in Accrington, Greater Manchester, AO arranged for a dishwasher, fridge, and chest freezer to be donated. Dogs4Rescue managed to purchase this new site after successfully fundraising over £450,000 during the Covid lockdown. The new site will eventually home up to 80 dogs.
AO said that its donation means that the charity can now make vital progress in opening the doors of their Accrington site as they now have the necessary equipment to store the dog’s food and clean their equipment.
Dogs4Rescue was founded in Irlam, Greater Manchester in 2013 and is a not-for-profit that specialises in pack rehabilitation and saving the dogs no one else wants. The team are on a mission to challenge the perception many people hold towards rescue dogs, and other animals, to revolutionise the way dog rescues operate as they offer a kennel free environment for their dogs to roam free. Since they started operating 9 years ago, Dogs4Rescue have rehomed over 1600 dogs.
Dogs4Rescue founder, Emma Billington, commented: “We are extremely grateful for the team from AO that came to help us start the big spring clean of the dogs’ adventure playground. They were a hardworking, good-humoured team that were determined to make an impact.
“We also want to say a huge thank you for the appliances that have been very kindly donated for the new site. Being such a small rescue, we can’t afford to buy new appliances; so, when companies like AO reach out with such generosity, it makes all the difference. The Dogs’ Log Cabin at our new site will be a ‘patchwork of love’ as more companies with community at their heart find ways to help. And what a help these appliances will be.
Vicky Monk, Group Marketing Director at AO, added: “We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with Dogs4Rescue and help make a positive impact on the lives of these wonderful animals. At AO, we believe in giving back to the community and supporting causes that make a real difference. We hope our contribution will help Dogs4Rescue continue to do the fantastic work they do, and encourage others to get involved and make a difference too.”
