Exciting rebuild underway at Dogs Trust West Calder
Staff, guests and celebrity supporters celebrated breaking the ground at Dogs Trust West Calder as work begins on a two-phase rebuild of the rehoming centre.
The £11.3m rebuild is expected to be complete by May 2027. The new facilities will include a new rehoming building and reception area with glass-fronted viewing kennels, quieter, dedicated kennels for new arrivals and dogs with more complex behavioural needs, and a purpose-built mum and puppy unit. There will also be 10 new runs for dogs to play in with varied enrichment, a larger veterinary consult room, and improved laundry and hygiene facilities, all designed sustainably with pioneering energy-efficient features.
There were celebrations and hard hats all round as Dogs Trust CEO Owen Sharp and Susan Tonner, Manager at Dogs Trust Calder, broke the ground, ably assisted by 11-year-old Crossbreed Snowy, who is currently looking for his forever home.
Joining in to celebrate the rebuild beginning were Deacon Blue singer Lorraine McIntosh, Livingston FC Manager David Martindale, Leader and Deputy Leader of West Lothian Council, Cllr Lawrence Fitzpatrick, Dr Elaine Cook and MSP for Almond Valley Angela Constance.
Dogs Trust West Calder opened in 1994 and is one of the charity’s two rehoming centres in Scotland. For 31 years, Dogs Trust West Calder staff have provided a loving, safe haven for dogs in need, providing care, veterinary treatment, rehabilitation and finding forever homes for over 10,000 dogs. Currently, up to 55 dogs can be cared for at the centre with others in foster homes. Over 1,200 dogs have been fostered via the centre, with 311 four-legged friends being adopted last year.
Scotland is now home to around one million dogs. Rising costs and economic hardship are forcing families to make tough choices, including giving up beloved pets. Last year in Scotland, over 3,000 people reached out to Dogs Trust to surrender their dogs, a heartbreaking 22% increase from the year before. As the need for the charity’s services increases, Dogs Trust is committed to being there for more dogs. Rebuilding Dogs Trust West Calder rehoming centre will address significant challenges in its facilities and ensure better care for the dogs, including those with more complex behaviours.
Speaking at the groundbreaking event, Owen Sharp, Chief Executive of Dogs Trust, said:“This is an exciting milestone as the building work begins on the redevelopment of Dogs Trust West Calder. The new facilities will take over two years to complete and will not only transform our rehoming centre, but also the lives of countless dogs and their families within Scotland.
“As we face an increasing dog population and challenges within dog welfare, the redevelopment of Dogs Trust West Calder will be invaluable in allowing us to meet these challenges head on by rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming more dogs in Scotland, ensuring we are there for dogs and their owners when they need us most.”
Dogs Trust would like to thank the John William Hay Charitable Trust, Lady Alison Smith, Simon Ford, and the Robert Barr Charitable Trust for their significant contributions towards this first phase of work. Dogs Trust is also grateful for the generous individuals and Trusts whose kind support made this work possible, but who would prefer to remain anonymous.
The charity has shared a video of the redevelopment for supporters to see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5T8qTOEdcw
To find out more about Snowy and all the dogs patiently waiting to be adopted at Dogs Trust West Calder visit www.dogstrust.org.uk/westcalder