Beautiful Joe’s helps Woodgreen give high-end need dogs a second chance
Woodgreen Pets Charity rehomes an average of 700 dogs each year from its centre in Cambridgeshire. Whilst many of these are matched with new homes within an average of 35 days, the charity specialises in ‘high-end need’ dogs that require more intensive behavioural rehabilitation.
With regular donations of high quality treats from Beautiful Joe’s to complement each dog’s bespoke training program, the charity is able to set the dogs up for the best possible future.
Since the beginning of the partnership in 2017, Woodgreen has received 33 donations from Beautiful Joe’s, containing over 3,000 packets of treats. These treats – made from air-dried, pasture fed, beef liver – have been an essential training aid for thousands of vulnerable dogs that have passed through Woodgreen’s doors. From basic training to overcoming more serious problems in dogs with traumatic backgrounds, a substantial supply of delicious treats is always needed.
Jess Macmichael, Dog Team Leader at Woodgreen, said: “A lot of the dogs in our care have never tried anything like Beautiful Joe’s liver treats, but they love the crunchy texture and they’re highly motivating! For this reason, they are perfect for breaking into small pieces and using for reward-based training. We also put them in activity feeders, such as puzzle balls, which are fantastic enrichment to prevent the dogs from getting bored when in their kennels.”
When Harry (pictured above) came into Woodgreen’s care, he was a typical one-year-old Dobermann prone to jumping up, mouthing and acting inappropriately with other dogs and people – which was particularly problematic given his size. He was placed in the charity’s high-end kennel block, with Woodgreen’s most experienced handlers, who put in months of training to teach Harry impulse control, general manners and how to interact with others. When a new home for Harry was found after four months, Woodgreen worked with the new owners to ensure they fully understood his behaviour and training requirements – as well as being on hand to offer any follow-up advice or support.
Stacey Hamilton, from Woodgreen’s Corporate Fundraising team, said: “Our partners have a huge impact on our work and directly benefit the wellbeing of the pets in our care. Thanks to Beautiful Joe’s, we’ve been able to invest in other areas of our work whilst knowing that our dogs are being plentifully rewarded during their time at Woodgreen.”
Woodgreen receives no government funding and relies entirely on the generosity of its supporters and partners in order to care for vulnerable pets. To find out more about supporting Woodgreen through a corporate partnership, please contact their friendly team on corporatefundraising@woodgreen.org.uk.