The Breakthrough diet supporting behavioural rehabilitation at Woodgreen
A partnership between Woodgreen Pets Charity and Breakthrough Dog Food is helping to give dogs with complex behavioural needs a second chance at happiness.
Every year since 2016, Breakthrough has donated food worth more than £2,500 to Woodgreen. The specially formulated product range can make a real difference to dogs’ behaviour, with amino acids and vitamins that help overcome stress.
Woodgreen rehomes around 700 dogs each year from its centre in Cambridgeshire, many of whom need significant veterinary intervention and behavioural rehabilitation. There’s a strong link between diet and behaviour, so it’s crucial for these dogs to be fed a diet that’s tailored to their needs. One of the dogs helped by Woodgreen is Pancake, a two-year-old Greyhound (pictured above), who spent 439 days in the charity’s care before being rehomed earlier this year.
Pancake had a number of behavioural issues, including reactivity and resource guarding (aggressively protecting possessions), which made it difficult to find a new owner who was willing to manage her ongoing needs. As part of her training programme at Woodgreen she was fed a unique Breakthrough diet and, over time, she made great strides in her behaviour. Breakthrough StartUp is clinically proven to help maintain and support learning ability and social interaction. Today, Pancake is flourishing in a new home.
Ciara Pollen, Dog Section Manager at Woodgreen, said: “The generous food donations we receive from Breakthrough ensure our dogs are fed a nutritionally complete diet that supports their overall wellbeing, including those with complex needs.”
Breakthrough Dog Food is a joint venture between Val Strong and OSCAR Pet Foods Ltd. Both share a passion for animal welfare, behaviour, nutrition and responsible pet care. The brand is a result of Val’s lifetime of study and research into diet and behaviour and the unique formula, based on chicken and sweet potato, provides everything a dog needs.
Val Strong MSc, Founder of Breakthrough, said: “We are delighted to have formed a long-term partnership with Woodgreen by providing Breakthrough food to support the dogs in their care. A recent trial provided some encouraging results, and staff were delighted to see dogs who had struggled to find a home, quickly find loving new owners.”
Woodgreen receives no government funding and relies entirely on the generosity of its supporters and partners, like Breakthrough, in order to care for vulnerable pets. To find out more about supporting Woodgreen through a corporate partnership, please get in touch with our friendly team.