News

Great Salford Swim

Monday August 2nd 2010

Elaine Taylor is completing a sponsored swim on 26th September and is donating part of the funds raised to Freshfields.  Please register at

http://www.justgiving.com/Elaine-Taylor0

She's the one in the red cap!

Sainsbury in Southport Pay Us a Visit

Saturday July 31st 2010

On Wednesday July 28th the manager of Sainsbury's in Southport along with two of his team paid a visit to the Liverpool rescue literally laden with food donations for the animals.

The rescue is very, very grateful for this generous donation and would like to say a very loud THANK YOU on behalf of all the animals in our care!

Sainsbury have also agreed to an in store collection bin thereby showing their ongoing support for the charity! Well done Sainsbury Southport!

Waitrose Help Raise Funds for Freshfields

Thursday July 29th 2010

Following another successful in-store charity collection we are pleased to announce a total of £410 was raised!

Pictured are Kayley Robinson right of Waitrose Formby Community Matters team along with Billy Howie who presented awards to Jane Young and Sasha of Freshfields Animal Rescue, Fiona Parker and Helen Wright from Parker and Crowther Vets on behalf of PDSA Pet Aid Southport and Barbara Roderick, John Turner and Julie Peeks from Southport and Formby Bee-Keepers.

With thanks to Waitrose for their continued support and Champion Newspapers for supplying the picture.

Charity Bike Ride Registration Now Open!

Friday July 23rd 2010

Freshfields Liverpool will be holding a Sponsored Bike Ride from the Hightown Hotel, Hightown as far as Antony Gormley's Another Place statues in Crosby and back - 7 miles in all!

The event takes place on Sunday September 12th and will hopefully raise some much needed funds for the rescue centre. The entry fee is a mere £3 for adults and £1.50 for children (under 16's must be accompanied by an adult and must submit signed parental consent forms) and registration and sponsor forms can be downloaded from this website, or drop us an email at and we will email (or post if prefered)copies to you.

This is a great opportunity for not just individuals, but groups or families to act together to achieve something that will benefit the animals in Freshfields care!

Summer Fun Day 2010 - Fun Dog Show Winners

Tuesday July 20th 2010

Hello Everybody,

Please find listed below the names of those taking 1st, 2nd & 3rd place in our Fun Dog Show held at West Lancs K9 Centre on the Formby Bypass. Many, many thanks to all those that attended at the weekend and we hope to repeat the exercise next year. May we also take this opportunity to thank profusely our hosts for the day 'The West Lancs K9 Centre', our compere Scott Burtoft of the West Lancs Dog Display Team, Judge Lisa Horne and Freshfields volunteer Mandy Goodright who manned the dog show registration tent.

Best in Show - Summer

Loveliest Eyes - 1st Dylan with Gabby, 2nd Billy with Nash, 3rd Karen with Wanda

Glossiest Coat - 1st Pauline with Henry, 2nd Sophie with Summer, 3rd Dave with Harvey

Best 6 Legs - 1st Diane with Tilly, 2nd Kate with Claude, 3rd James with Lily

Best Pup (under 12 months) - 1st Chris with Marley, 2nd Karen with Leo, 3rd Steve with Shelley

Best Veteran - 1st Janet with Kes, 2nd Marian with Pugsley, 3rd Jenna with Bonnie

Dog Judge Would Most Like to Take Home - 1st Holly with Oscar, 2nd Jeff with Twinkle, 3rd Sarah with Belle

Best Rescued - 1st Elisa with Susie, 2nd Maureen with Jess, 3rd Diane with Tilly

Waggiest Tail - 1st Dylan with Summer, 2nd Emily with Pepe, 3rd June with Cass

Prettiest Bitch - 1st Cheryl with Misty, 2nd Henry with Miley, 3rd Sonja with Jasmine

Most Handsome Dog - 1st Neil with Kobe, 2nd Brian with Charlie, 3rd Neil with Jack

For full photo's of the day please visit our flickr site via the button to the left of the YouTube button just below the Freshfields logo at the top of this page.

Bootle Soroptimists Choose Freshfields as Charity of Year!

Monday July 19th 2010

Ms Linda Heavon who is the Bootle Soroptimist President for 2010/2011 has nominated Freshfields Liverpool branch as her charity of the year. Freshfields would like to say thank you to Linda and her group for their support and are very much looking forward to seeing some of them down at the rescue.

For those of you who would like to learn more please follow this link http://www.sibootle.co.uk/SI_Bootle/Welcome.html

In brief - here is a little info on what the soroptimists are all about.

What is Soroptimist International?
Soroptimist International is a worldwide organisation for women in management and the professions, working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. The word Soroptimist comes from the Latin words soror meaning "sister" and optima meaning "best", and loosely translates as "best for women".

Objects and Purpose of Soroptimism
Soroptimist International, a world-wide organisation for women in management and the professions, is a global voice for women through Awareness, Advocacy and Action, and its objects shall be to strive for:

•The Advancement and the status of women
•High ethical standards
•Human rights for all
•Equality development and peace, through International Goodwill, Understanding and Friendship.

Soroptimist International is committed to:
•Service to local, national and international communities.
•Active participation in decision making at all levels of society.
•Working in partnership with the United Nations and its agencies, governments, other service organisations and
charities.

When & Where We Meet:
Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday
The 1st meeting is for SI business and the 2nd is a social evening.
All meetings are from 6.00 - 8.00 pm monthly except for August and December

Our Venue:
The Bridge 2 Learning
201 Moss Lane
Litherland
L21 7NW

Caught On Camera!

Thursday July 15th 2010

Does anyone recognise the gentleman in the picture? (click on the picture to enlarge)

This individual was caught on CCTV outside the Liverpool rescue just after 10.30 pm on Wednesday July 14th. And what was he doing visiting us at that time of night I hear you ask? Dropping off a donation? Calling in to tell us what a wonderful job we do?

No, no, no... he had something far more sinister in mind - Dumping Rabbits!

Yes that's right, on one of the worst nights for storms in this part of the country in many months, with bouts of not just torrential rain but also thunder and lightening this individual decided to abandon two rabbits in a carry case outside the front door of the rescue. By the time we found them not only were they very bedraggled but they were also very, very scared and traumatised.

Inside the box were two unneutered male rabbits. At first glance they appeared a dirty brown in colour but upon closer inspection it was quite clear thay were covered in one anothers urine which had obviously been building up over a long time. The smell also was pretty unpleasant!

It never ceases to amaze me that people think it acceptable to ignore a problem, when advice can so easily be sought from a vet or even a rescue centre for those that are conscientious enough to make a call. Instead it is easier to turn a blind eye and then pass the problem on to someone else when it can't be ignored any longer. And even in the passing on they can't ring up and ask (we have a waiting list for rabbits as well as the larger animals) but instead wait until it's dark and creep up to the door to do what they must know (from the very act of waiting until it is dark) is wrong!

It is actually a criminal offence to abandon an animal, and for those out there looking to excuse themselves NO, leaving it outside an animal rescue centre does not make it alright. It means you are a coward, not willing to face up to your responsibilites and looking to pass the buck undetected.

Well... in this case... sorry mate but we caught you!!! And you should feel ashamed!

Also worth a mention is the fact that this act of selfishness will mean that Freshfields has to pay to put right what could have been so easily avoided in the first place. Both rabbits need neutering now before (as unneutered males do) they start to fight, this will also hopefully cure the problem of them constantly mounting oneanother which is the main reason for the urine stains, although possibly confinement in too small a space has contributed to this. They will also need to be vaccinated and microchipped before rehoming. And for all of this the charity will not see change from £150.

So, Mr Rabbit Dumper, how about you come back with a donation? You know where you can find us don't you?

Internet Access Problems in Wales

Thursday July 8th 2010

Just a quick announcement for you all.

Unfortunately the Welsh rescue is having problems with it's broadband connection which means they have no internet access at the moment and will therefore be unable to read any emails. I f you need to contact the Welsh rescue then please telephone on 01286 880 808.

Thank You

Much Needed Neutering Scheme to Launch in Sefton

Tuesday July 6th 2010

Linacre Cat Neutering Project

Freshfields Animal Rescue Liverpool has formed a partnership with the Persula Foundation and the Jean Marchig Trust that will allow for the sterilisation of 400 cats within the 2 wards of Linacre and Derby in Bootle L20, Sefton for families on low income.

The scheme will work door to door as well as through the effective offices and channels of existing community groups on the ground in Linacre to maximise awareness and take up of the scheme.

The scheme has a start date of 1st Aug 2010, literature and advertising have been prepared and the Community post team will be responsible for delivery door to door throughout the area. Meetings with community groups, community policing teams, social housing organisations and local groups within Liverpool 20, to assist with the promotion of the scheme, are being held throughout July in order to aid the effective channelling of the project throughout those wards.

The charity will use the scheme to produce a detailed statistical assessment of cat health and medical state from within low income households derived from both basic consent/admittance forms and detailed vet exams under sedation. All the surgery will be carried out by Rufford Vet Group in Southport, the charity will aim to submit 8 cats weekly at a reduced surgery price that the practice has agreed in advance.

The charity also wishes to produce a follow up 'outcomes assessment' where participating households are contacted within 4 months of surgery to measure why neutering had not previously taken place and the benefits to the household that neutering has brought socially and economically. The charity will produce a statistical assessment from its figures in conjunction with John Moores University. We will be using the data collected to produce a more accurate assessment of cat ownership, veterinary access by owners, breeding and specific welfare issues within Liverpool 20 that can be related to income threshold and which in the future we can build upon as we focus our fieldwork into areas that need us most. We see this scheme as a pilot project which we could replicate in other deprived wards of Liverpool in the future

This is a new project deliberately targeting a specific, concise area where analysis of the charity's records have proven absolute need and will be running alongside an existing project sponsored financially by Cats Protection that has been running for several years across the whole of Merseyside and that allows neutering for all households where breeding is taking place. In 2010 Cats Protection have allowed us a £32,000 budget for this county wide scheme. The Linacre project is being funded to the tune of £12,000.

Like many independent animal rescue charities, Freshfields does not have the funds to begin, let alone sustain, such vital projects as these. Without the financial support of our sponsors these projects could not happen and our work in the community would be a fraction of what it is today.