You may or may not have heard, ex International & Lions captain rugby legend Sam Warburton is on a mission to raise as much money as possible for Cardiff Dogs Homes as they are in desperate need of repair.
‘At present there are 44 steel kennels at Cardiff Dogs Home, built in the early 1990s, and given an estimated lifespan of 25 years. These kennels do not offer much privacy for the dogs, so the wonderful staff try their best to make the kennels as homely as possible, despite the metal constructions having deteriorated greatly over the years. This will include attaching blankets to the inside of the kennels to provide a modicum of privacy for the dogs. There are also drainage issues which means the floor can often be wet after daily cleaning despite efforts to dry the floors as much as possible. The current layout means that dogs are often housed opposite each other, with narrow walkways connecting them, which can cause a fair amount of stress to the dogs.’
In 2019/20, 695 stray dogs came through the doors of Cardiff Dogs Home. 359 of them (51.6%) were returned to their owner. 329 (47.3%) were re-homed and only 7 (1%) were put to sleep, with 3 of these being due to medical advice, and 4 due to behavioural issues.
If you do find a dog straying, this is what to do:
- Contact Cardiff Dogs Home on 029 2071 1243. If you find a dog that is out on its own, you are legally obliged to contact the local authority. For the Cardiff area that is Cardiff Dogs Home. This is to ensure that the correct process is followed and that the dog is returned to its true owner.
- They will arrange for a Warden to collect the dog and scan it for a microchip, to reunite it with the owner. If there is no microchip the dog will be taken to Cardiff Dogs Home where it will be cared for until the owner comes to collect it. Alternatively, you can take a stray directly to the Dogs Home at any time, 24/7 – call in advance, if you are doing this
- If no one claims the dog, after 7 days it will become the legal property of Cardiff Dogs Home and the process of finding the dog a new, forever home will begin.
This is what not to do:
- You should not keep the dog, or put posts on social media that give people so much information that anyone could claim to be the owner of the dog. Our staff are trained and experienced in dealing with all the complexities of dog ownership and related disputes. It’s possible you may have found a dog that has been stolen and the Dogs Home may have information about the history and circumstances around an individual dog.
- Do not contact a Vet. They are only undertaking essential consultations at he moment and can’t take in stray dogs to scan for microchips, look up databases and then contact owners to reunite dogs. This is what Cardiff Dogs Home and the Warden Service is for.
To find out more about Cardiff Dogs Home visit:
Welcome to Cardiff Dogs Home – Cardiff Dogs Home
If you would like to make a donation to help
Sam Warburton and the Rescue Hotel raise funds for Cardiff Dogs Home, visit