Three Counties Dog Rescue in Bourne set to mark 50 years after surviving Covid-19 pandemic

The last two years have been the hardest in the charity’s long history but staff at a dog rescue centre are looking to the future as they celebrate their golden anniversary.

The hard-working volunteer team at Three Counties Dog Rescue, led by Gyll Mauchline, will undoubtedly raise a glass on Thursday to mark 50 years since the charity was founded.

But they will also be reflecting on the last two years, which should have been some of the happiest but instead have been some of the most difficult.

“People didn’t stop abandoning dogs during lockdown but what we could do to help them had to stop,” Gyll recalls.

“A lot of rescue centres did it online but we weren’t confident we would be able to find the right forever homes that way.

“Instead we did what we could do here.”

In 2019, Gyll and Max bought the site on which Three Counties lies in Spalding Road, Bourne, having previously rented it, and had big ambitions for their future.

Among these ambitions was to open boarding kennels as a source of income, but then the pandemic struck and holidays went straight out of the window.

It is only now, more than a year later, that boarding has started to pick up.

Pet cremation has also started at Three Counties, again as a means of income for the charity, but lockdown meant it couldn’t be used to its full capacity.

Meanwhile, another important source of income - the centre’s charity shop in North Street - was forced to closed because of lockdown.

Despite these challenges, the centre was still inundated with animals and at one point had upwards of 75 dogs with no way of being able to rehome them.

The charity quickly invested in a marquee so that they could hold pet viewings in a socially-distanced way but as the Government guidance changed, they had to stop rehomings altogether. It is only in recent weeks that this has been able to restart.

Instead, work to repair fencing and upgrade the kennels continued and of course, 365 days a year, lockdown or not, the dogs and cats living at Three Counties still need looking after.

Asked about the financial impact of the pandemic, Gyll and husband Max will only say it has been “substantial” but they are positive about their future.

A few years ago, to mark her 70th birthday and the couple’s golden wedding anniversary, Gyll took on a fundraising wing walk and she doesn’t rule out a similarly exciting challenge to mark the golden anniversary of the rescue centre and raise vital funds.

The annual veterinary bill alone for Three Counties is about £120,000 - every dog is neutered before it leaves Three Counties and there are some animals in long-term foster care who need medical care.

Later this year, it is hoped a new shop will open at the Spalding Road site to sell pet products to new owners to provide another income stream. Also on sale there will be the annual calendar that is produced featuring some of the dogs that need homes.

Currently there are about 50 dogs and 14 cats needing homes at Three Counties, but also living there are 100,000 bees after volunteer Chris Kettle took the opportunity of having more space to fulfil a dream of having hives. It is hoped the honey they produce could be sold now events where they fundraise can restart.

Gyll and Max, who live in Kirkby Underwood, have six dogs of their own - reduced from 16 at one point - and are no strangers to taking dogs home.

One of the highlights of everyday life at Three Counties is finding homes for dogs.

Labrador puppy Quinn recently found his way to Three Counties. He was bought during lockdown when he was just a few weeks old but the owners couldn’t cope with the demands of a tiny puppy.

Of course, a thoroughbred like Quinn found a home immediately and until he goes to his new home, Gyll and Max, who have six dogs of their own, have been caring for him at their home in Kirkby Underwood.

“It’s hard to say goodbye sometimes but it is what we are here for,” says Gyll.

“We often see the dogs again at fundraising events and now we have the boarding kennels, more will come back when their owners are on holiday.”

And when asked if she’s proud if she looks back over the 50-year history of the kennels and the 7,500 animals rehomed, Gyll’s eyes fill with tears.

“I suppose I am proud really - not just for me but for everyone who has played a part, and for every animal. They’re what it’s all about.”

The origins of Three Counties Dog Rescue

On September 9, 1971, Three Counties Dog Rescue was founded by Sheila Kew with the aim of rehoming dogs, originally in Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire.

Gyll Mauchline was one of the earliest to join the charity as she lived in Hampshire, but when she and husband Max had to relocate to Bourne 30 years ago, the rescue reformed here.

Today it covers a 50-mile radius and actually rehomes in six counties - Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire.

Since it was founded, Three Counties has rehomed about 7,500 dogs and cats, as well as any other animals that happen to find their way to the centre in Spalding Road, which in the past has included a chinchilla left on the doorstep.

There is also a charity shop in North Street, Bourne.

To find out more about the charity and the dogs and cats that need homes, visit https://threecountiesdogrescue.org/

There are also details on the website about how to sponsor a dog or get involved in fostering or volunteering - all of which helps the charity immensely.

You can also call 01778 424953 or 077085 89792 (between 10am and 4pm) for more information. Leave a message if there is no response - the volunteers are very busy!

Three Counties Dog Rescue will be celebrating their anniversary with a fundraising stall at Bourne Lions family fun day, which takes place at the Recreation Ground on Sunday (September 5).