Brighter days ahead as Stafford homebuilder supports animal charity

Located near David Wilson Homes’ development The Lapwings, the charity, started by Raine McCaughtrie, has received a sponsorship from the housebuilder to become one of its Paw Patrons. 

Raine wanted to set up a kennel so that she could continue helping dogs in Romania with somewhere for them to be assessed and decompress. Raine wanted to expand her rescue work beyond Romania and help with dogs here in the UK, as well as in countries elsewhere.

Raine joined forces with Ed Briscoe, a local Staffordshire businessman, and they began searching for land to build kennels on. Ed and Raine, along with volunteers, revamped the kennels between February 2021 and June 2022 before officially opening their doors.

Sarah Brown, Fundraising Co-ordinator at Brighter Days Rescue, said: “We need to purchase the premises to secure our facility and protect our long-term dogs. David Wilson Homes’ sponsorship will contribute towards us raising funds to secure our kennels.

“The sponsorship will also go towards vet bills which are a huge cost to our charity. We ensure all our dogs have been fully vaccinated and health checked.

“Plus, we’ve recently had damage to our kennels through Storm Darragh, and these repairs are costing our charity. We are constantly updating our kennels to benefit the dogs and our recent sanctuary space is an example of this.”

Brighter Days Rescue is a borderless rescue. It takes relinquishments from all over the UK, whilst also helping rescues overseas. It has homed 405 dogs as of 11 December 2024 and has had people travel as far as Cornwall to adopt dogs.

It also has a foster scheme for dogs that don’t cope well in the kennels. With a section for long-term dogs and those who will probably stay with the charity indefinitely, it has built a special sanctuary space where these dogs can run free during the daytime.

Sarah continued: “There is a variety of ways that people can support Brighter Days Rescue and, like the contribution from David Wilson Homes, we welcome any corporate sponsors who would like to get involved and support our charity.

“We also welcome those wanting to host their own fundraisers, like bake sales, charity days, sponsored walks or runs, collection tins, volunteering, donating natural treats and other equipment, or purchasing items on our Amazon wish list.

The charity also works with Rodbaston College to provide work experience for students completing animal care qualifications. It supports students with additional learning needs by holding sessions run by a qualified special educational needs teacher in a safe, controlled way.

It has created a community at the kennels with lots of people coming along to volunteer who have made friends, gained confidence, and transformed their mental health. 

Sarah added: “Brighter Days Rescue is only able to operate thanks to our fantastic team of volunteers. We are grateful to David Wilson Homes and everyone in our local community who has come together to help the rescue thrive.”

Helen Lewis, Managing Director at David Wilson Homes Mercia, said: “We are very happy to support Brighter Days Rescue, and we hope that others are also encouraged to get involved to contribute to its goals to give aid to dogs in the local community.”

For more information about any developments in the area, visit the website at David Wilson Homes in Staffordshire.