Dog charity aims to sniff out Lucky owners 50 years on

In the run up to their 50th anniversary on August 23, the North Lincolnshire charity is looking for the family who adopted Lucky – who was a stray on “death row” at Brigg police station – to take part in their birthday celebrations.

“The paint was hardly dry on the kennels of our new centre when the police called us that day, asking if we could take this stray dog,” recalled treasurer Peggy Dornom, who has been with the charity since it started.

The charity was set up because of another rescue dog, a cocker spaniel called Rusty. When he died aged 14, his owner Jerry Green decided to do something to help other homeless dogs, investing £300,000 to start the first centre, on the 12-acre site at Wressle, near Broughton, where it is still based.

Sadly he didn’t live long enough to see the charity he started open more centres.

To mark the anniversary year, staff and supporters have set themselves a target of raising £50,000 to improve exercise facilities at their seven rescue centres, mostly in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

None of the charity’s income comes from state aid or Lottery funding. Chief Executive David Foulds said finding money was a constant headache, particularly as the banking crisis had cut income from investment. He said: “We hope our Golden Jubilee will be a bumper year, both for fund raising – it would be great if local groups and societies would adopt us as their special charity in 2011 – and for rehoming dogs.”

As well as looking for Lucky’s owners the charity also wants to hear from other people who adopted dogs in the first months of the operation on 01652 657820.