Wednesday, 4 May 2016: Janice Porter: “It’s a Dog’s Life”
Set up in 1997 Grovehill Animal Trust aims to rescue and re-home unwanted or abandoned animals in Omagh and surrounding areas. To date it has saved some 11,000 animals. The trust is a registered charity with operating costs of £8,000 to £10,000 per month, all of which depends on fund-raising by volunteers. While Grovehill does accept stray dogs and cats, Janice explained that most of their animals are brought in by pet owners no longer in a position to care for their pets and keen for a new home for their cat or dog. All animals are given a veterinary health check on arrival and any illnesses or conditions treated immediately. All undergo a comprehensive re-homing process in which the suitability of both animal and owner are assessed to ensure that both will be happy together. Janice illustrated the work which she and her team do by talking about the distressing condition in which some animals arrived and showing photos of happy healthy dogs and cats awaiting a new home. The trust works closely with the wider community to raise awareness of animal welfare issues and enjoys a good working relationship with the District Council dog wardens and animal welfare officers.