THE Manchester Dogs' Home is the largest dogs' home in the country caring for lost and abandoned dogs.

The home is launching an urgent appeal to raise funds for its kennel building programme.

Last year, it admitted and cared for nearly 7,000 dogs, and has improved its programme of preventative veterinary medicine and, as a result, is saving more dogs' lives than ever before.

Also, the home receives many sick and injured dogs drawn from a 50-mile radius of Manchester and these also receive veterinary treatment to restore them (as much as possible) to full health.

As a result of treating sick and abandoned dogs, we need to accommodate many more dogs for longer periods of time until new, caring homes can be found.

Last year, almost 90% of our dogs were rehomed.

Each dog needs to be accommodated for, on average, a month before it is rehomed.

Some dogs have stayed at the home for over 12 months before they have been rehomed which, at certain times of the year such as Bank Holidays, Summer Holidays and Christmas, causes chronic overcrowding.

The home desperately needs to develop additional kennels in order to isolate the dogs under treatment from the healthy dogs and prevent overcrowding.

We know that we can continue to cure the dogs and rehome them given the time and space.

Additional kennels would improve the dogs' quality of life whilst they are in our care.

The home has been granted planning approval for the development of additional kennels.

£500,000 is needed to finance the kennel building programme and a number of events have been organised to help raise this amount.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

You can help the dogs in many ways such as organising a fund raising event, sponsoring a kennel (please send for a Sponsor a Kennel Form), organising a car boot sale on behalf of the home, organising a raffle at your place of work, organising a sponsored walk/slim/race or by sending a donation to the Appeals Department, Manchester Dogs' Home, Crofter's House, Moss Brook Road, Harpurhey, Manchester M9 5PG. Tel. 0161 205 7136.

Last, but by no means least, if you are thinking of becoming a dog owner, please visit our kennels.

We have 200 dogs currently on our rehoming row - with so many to choose from, we are sure you will find the companion you have been searching for.

Each dog rehomed, makes life better for the dogs still waiting for that special person to take them home.

Manchester Dogs' Home is open SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. Mon-Sat. 1pm to 5pm, Sun. 1pm to 4 pm.