Dogs Trust proposals to transition Ilfracombe centre could lead to redundancies

A petition has been launched in response to Dogs Trust's proposed changes to its operations, which could affect staff at centres across the UK, including Ilfracombe. 

The charity has confirmed proposed plans to transition its Ilfracombe rehoming centre into a dedicated foster hub, but the restructuring is not limited to that location. 

It comes after Dogs Trust believes that many dogs are not suited to living in kennels and thrive better when cared for in a home environment.

Taking into account the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, which has placed additional financial pressures on both dog owners and charities, Dogs Trust has recognised that more people are being forced to give up their dogs.

As a result, they have stated the charity’s services are under increasing pressure.

To address this crisis, Dogs Trust feels it must refocus its efforts and adapt its rehoming network.

They have released their current plans. 

Dogs Trust aims to provide more intensive support for dogs with challenging behaviours by building on the success of its fostering and Home Stay programme.

The charity plans to refocus its prevention efforts on helping owners with behavioural issues and to redirect its international work through its sister charity, WVS (Worldwide Veterinary Service).

These changes are part of a broader review of the charity's operations to better support its new strategic approach.

In starting this process of change, Dogs Trust has:

• Reviewed the structure of its rehoming centre network

• Developed proposals to focus more on supporting owners with behavioural problems

• Redirected its international efforts through WVS

• Evaluated its cross-organisational work to ensure it can help dogs when they need it most

• Continued to maximise the impact of every donation received

In response, a newly launched petition, titled Prevent the Redundancy of Dogs Trust Staff, has already gathered more than 700 signatures and is being sent to the Dogs Trust Board of Trustees for consideration.

The petition was created by an anonymous Dogs Trust employee who expressed concerns about the potential impact of the proposed changes. 

On the Change.org page, the employee stated: “Dogs Trust has been rehoming thousands of dogs each year for over 130 years. However, recent actions threaten to make invaluable staff members redundant, potentially leading to a reduction in care, an increase in euthanasia rates, and a negative impact on the dogs’ quality of life. Let’s preserve the frontline workers who ensure the safety of these dogs.”

The charity’s proposal includes reducing kennel capacity to refocus resources on supporting dogs with behavioural issues. 

An estimated 300 roles could be at risk of redundancy across Dogs Trust's network of centres. 

The organisation has stated, however, that it hopes those affected would find new roles within the charity for affected staff, depending on the consultation process and people finding the right roles for them.

Dogs Trust, which currently employs 1,765 staff members, explained that the move to transition the Ilfracombe centre is part of a wider strategy to provide more support for dogs with complex needs. 

By expanding its Home from Home fostering scheme, the charity hopes to care for more dogs in foster homes rather than in kennels. 

However, this change comes as part of a broader attempt to address challenges facing the dog welfare sector, with the charity aiming to help even more dogs despite rising costs and increased demand.

A Dogs Trust spokesperson said: “Dogs Trust has been here for dogs for 134 years and we are now living in unprecedented times, approaching a perfect storm regarding dog welfare. The pandemic has resulted in a larger UK dog population, and we are seeing an increase in unwanted behaviours. The cost-of-living crisis is putting additional financial pressures on owners, as well as on charities, which means our services are under pressure because more people are having to give up their dogs, while our costs are continuing to increase. To tackle this crisis, we need to be there to help even more dogs. We can’t sit by and do nothing, so we need to refocus our work, and review our rehoming network. We know that many dogs aren’t suited to living in kennels but thrive when cared for in a home, which is why we are proposing transitioning our rehoming centre in Ilfracombe into a dedicated foster hub.”

The petition will be presented to the Board of Trustees as part of the ongoing consultation process.