Footballers from Accrington Stanley have thrown their support behind the RSPCA Lancashire East Branch as the animal shelter battles to secure its future.
The Altham-based centre, which has rehabilitated and rehomed neglected animals since the 1970s, recently revealed it is considering mothballing its kennel facilities due to severe financial pressures.
Trustees say rising costs and a sharp downturn in legacy income have left the independent, self-funding charity facing a projected £180,000 deficit by the end of 2026.
Now the League Two side has stepped in to help raise awareness of the shelter’s plight.
Players visited the facility to meet some of the dogs currently in its care, including Patterdale terrier Bonnie, who had been used for badger baiting, bull lurcher Butters, who arrived seriously ill, and French bulldog Gus, rescued from a traumatic multi-dog household case.
Centre-half Farrend Rawson said the visit had been an emotional experience.
“Seeing all those dogs opens your heart,” the imposing defender said.
“I grew up with five dogs. I wanted to be a zookeeper, and my sisters are vets, so I love dogs.
“Dogs are a person’s best friend, and they help people from all walks of life.
"They don’t have a voice, so we need to be their voic,e and it’s so important to have places like this open that look after dogs and have their best interests at heart.”
Right-back Connor O’Brien added: “It’s been a dream day – playing football in the morning and then playing with dogs.
“I walk my dog near the centre and see all the amazing work they do. We need to help to keep RSPCA East Lancashire open for the community and the dogs.”
Left-back Freddie Sass was particularly taken with Timmy, a dog who was fostered by an RSPCA worker before being adopted.
“I want to take Timmy home!” he said.
“It’s really sad what happens to these dogs, and so we need to keep shelters like this open to make sure they help the dogs and find them nice, safe homes.”
Jeanette Ainscough, animal care manager at the branch, thanked the club and the wider community for their backing.
“It’s lovely to be at Accrington Stanley, and we want to thank the club for their support. I think we have lost Timmy to one of the players!” she joked.
She added: “Since this announcement, we’ve been absolutely overwhelmed and humbled by the support from our local community and wider public. You’re all amazing.
"We couldn’t do this without you. We’ve been inundated with donations to our JustGiving page.
“We take on the most neglected, abused and damaged dogs, so we need to keep our rehabilitation facility open, as many of the dogs we get from the RSPCA inspectors can’t go straight into homes.
"It’s vital we raise awareness and, fingers crossed, we raise the funds to keep our amazing facility open so we can continue to help animals who need us most.”
The charity says it costs around £15,000 a month to run the shelter and is continuing to explore ways to secure its long-term future.
Anyone wishing to support the branch by donating, fostering or rehoming a dog can find more information on the RSPCA Lancashire East Branch website.
Share