The Annual Report of:
K-9 Rescue Remedy
Charity Number: 1173073
Charity Address: Little Bank, Sandrock Hill, Sedlescombe, Near Battle, East Sussex, TN33 0QR For financial Period 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2022 Trustee Names
Carol Limpkin Brian Duckett
Susan Walling
Kim Marriott Nicholas Limpkin
Debbie Eatten
Objectives:
TO PROMOTE HUMANE BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS ANIMALS BY PROVIDING APPROPRIATE CARE, PROTECTION, TREATMENT AND SECURITY FOR DOGS WHICH ARE IN NEED OF CARE AND ATTENTION BY REASON OF SICKNESS, MALTREATMENT, POOR CIRCUMSTANCES OR ILL USAGE AND TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC IN MATTERS PERTAINING TO ANIMAL WELFARE IN GENERAL AND THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY AND SUFFERING AMONG ANIMALS. NOTHING IN THIS CONSTITUTION SHALL AUTHORISE AN APPLICATION OF THE PROPERTY OF THE CIO FOR THE PURPOSES WHICH ARE NOT CHARITABLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 7 OF THE CHARITIES AND TRUSTEE INVESTMENT (SCOTLAND) ACT 2005 AND SECTION 2 OF THE CHARITIES ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 2008.
K-9 Rescue Remedy Training.
K-9 Rescue Remedy Training, is K-9RR’s major activity. It is based in Sedlescombe Village Hall, Sedlescombe Near Battle, East Sussex TN33 0QP and it meets on Sunday mornings during school term times. It provides rehabilitation and training for the Kennel Club, Good Citizens Award Scheme at Bronze, Silver & Gold levels. We work with up to 7 dogs in each class.
Part way through this year, we decided to introduce more play-based training in all of our classes. The reason for this was to try to introduce more enjoyment of classes for both the dogs and their owners. We want them both to come to classes because they have a pleasant experience. This, we are very pleased to say, has been really successful with many of the dog owners reporting that their dogs want to get into the hall when they realise that they are coming to training.
We also decided that we would keep testing days down to two or three per year and only enter dogs that we are sure are able to pass each level. As a result, at the first testing following the pandemic, out of the 16 dogs that took their Good Citizens Award Scheme qualifications, only one dog was judged as 'unready.' Three dogs passed 'Gold,' four dogs passed 'Silver' and eleven passed 'Bronze.' In the second round of testing two dogs passed 'Silver' and nine dogs passed 'Bronze.
Due to the length of our waiting list, we introduced a fifth class at 8.30 am on Sunday mornings. We also do a few one-to-one lessons for dogs that cannot cope with a class situation. We are extremely fortunate because we have three qualified behaviourists among our trainers and this has enriched the support that we are able to give both the dogs and their owners.
All of our trainers are ‘people’ people as well as ‘dog’ people. They are empathetic towards the humans in the class, as well as very compassionate with the dogs that they work with. These qualities are essential, because we are providing support for our dog owners who have their own share of issues. Amongst our owners are people with mental health conditions, are elderly, lonely, have learning or physical disabilities which can impact upon their dog’s
behaviour. these people. A significant number of the owners that attend our classes report that their dogs are hugely important to them as they provide huge emotional support for them and they give purpose to each day of their lives.
K-9RR continues to provide owners with advice in all matters ‘dog.’ Contact with the membership is maintained via phone, social media and WhatsApp.
Achievements and performance
Dog Training.
The success of the training club over this year, has enabled us to achieve our main aim – to prevent as many dogs as possible from being placed into rescue. However, the training club runs to help the owners of the dogs we have rescued as well as people who have acquired dogs independently. As one of the benefits of adopting one of our rescues we provide a full course of training free of charge and this impacts upon our finances, because not all owners are paying for their training courses.
The empathy and understanding of our trainers and dog behaviourists have enhanced our social value for people with disabilities and bad experiences, as well as the wider community.
We have not raised our charges for training classes for many years now, because currently people are under so much financial pressure, we are reluctant to do so but we are now charging for dog behaviour assessments and for testing days. Unfortunately, the cost of hall hire at Sedlescombe Village Hall has significantly increased, which will ultimately create the need to increase our charges for dog training/behaviour modification.
We are delighted to be able to hold testing for the Kennel Club Good Citizens Award Scheme again and so pleased with the performance of the dogs being trained under our supervision.
Rescue Work.
A new large dog run has been purchased this year to replace the old one that was badly damaged by our rescues. Thanks to the efforts of a number of our trustees, we have modified the damaged kennel and put a solid roof over the whole structure for security as well as weatherproofing. So, we now have an emergency kennel and good-sized run, based at K-9RR’s headquarters. The kennel and run are big enough to accommodate a large dog.
It has been a difficult year for our small foster-based general dog rescue. Principally we are a rescue for UK dogs, however we find that we are being asked to take in European dogs which we have not imported.
The numbers of dogs we have taken in for the financial year 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023 is down from last year, mainly due to our shortage of funds. Twice during the last year, we have had to stop taking in dogs, either because we had insufficient funds to pay for the upkeep of the dogs already in our care, or because we did not have enough foster carers to look after our dogs.
Unhappily, we had to have three of our rescue dogs put to sleep over the year. One of the dogs, a little Papillion was very elderly and was in a dire state when we rescued him. The other two dogs were sadly so mentally damaged, due to their past experiences, that they were unsafe to rehome. Sadley we did not have the facilities to keep them ourselves and were unable to find a sanctuary that would take them.
We have continued to support other animal charities over the last year by sharing any surplus food that we are gifted with the Ann Craske Welfare Fund, Barby Keel and Cat call.
The number of people who are willing to foster dogs appears to be falling which of course impacts upon our ability to take in dogs over the year. However, we have successfully taken in and rehomed a total of 22 dogs from 1[st] April 2022 to 1[st] April 2023 despite the periods of time when we did not take in dogs.
Summary.
Overall, for the year 1[st] April 2022 to 1[st] April 2023 we have successfully delivered our charitable aims in terms of educating (via the Kennel Club Good Citizens Award scheme), assisting dog owners in our community to manage their dog’s behaviour so that most dogs keep their homes, as well as taking in and rehoming dogs that needed a fresh start in a new home.
We are certainly becoming well-known in the local area which makes it very challenging when we are unable to help by taking in a dog when it is needed, because we do not have foster homes available or because we are running with full classes in dog training.
Future Activities.
Before we can extend our activities, we need to ensure that all of our charity policies are updated and we review the new policies that need to be put in place for the future.
We are looking into ways that we can purchase a premises to provide housing for our rescue dogs. We want to be able to select dogs from those surrendered to us, that might be trained as assistance/support dogs. We now have very significant talent and skill in terms of behaviourists/trainers that have the capability to train assistance dogs for a huge range of disabilities in our community.
K-9 Rescue Remed CIO- Do Chari Seetion Accounts for the eriod l A ri12022 to 31 March 2023 2022123 2021122 Donalions & Fundralsing Donthons- K9RR tkg Cl Kanrd Club 17559 2163 15655 Otlw inc¢)me 19722 17655 Fcffjlw (b3 exFw888 Vet SupplIe81113 Dog PA)8rnKenn81 Pwcthase Spt Dog train Hydro Pool SuTh Expendrture SurphA Penod 3850 9240 7428 1700 6542 4100 1327 23545 438 16346 -3823 1309 at stsrt of Perfc 8635 SurphAIDefiat for ar -3823 1309 6121 Cash In Cwrent AccA)unt 3560 2561 7102 Pay P81 A(¢ Owlng to K9RR Dcg Club 3926 -1084 6121 ned on behalf of the Trustees Dated .J.-..&...18.................... Brian Duckett