AN ANIMAL charity has unveiled a new £30,000 project which will see a major expansion.

Bosses at Hyndburn Stray Dogs in Need have built seven kennels, which will allow them to care for many more homeless dogs which are in danger of being put down.

The move is also expected to save the charity vast amounts of cash.

Steve Wood, who runs the charity and is also the Hyndburn dog warden, said he was ‘delighted’ to have finished the project. The charity is responsible for re-homing more than 800 d ogs every year and has come to the aid of over 4,600 strays since it began 10 years ago.

Steve was recently crowned Dog Warden of the Year in a national contest.

The new kennel complex has been built thanks to a £20,000 grant from the Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust.

Steve said: “We used to have to pay for kennel space for dogs that dogs that local councils wanted to dispose of but now we have our own facilities.

“It will make a huge difference to the way we operate and will allow us to have a bit of breathing space when we look to re-home dogs.”

Mr Wood started the charity in 2000 after beginning work for Hyndburn Council.

He said he was shocked to learn that stray dogs were often just put down rather than re-homed because it was cheaper.

The charity is based at Aspen Valley Kennels, in Oswaldtwistle, where Steve had to previously pay for kennel costs.

Now the new seven kennels at the site will save the charity huge amounts of vital cash, he said.

Mr Wood has a dedicated band of more than 30 volunteers who help out, including his daughter Kelly, who is the charity's treasurer.

The charity also operateS a charity shop in Whalley Road, Accrington.