A New Lease Of Life

When the world shies away from older dogs, two sisters from Norfolk find a much-loved home for 250 pooches every year

- SERENA SHORES

For Kelly Hare, from F Norfolk, helping animals in need just came naturally. Fifteen years ago, she adopted a pound dog called Milo who had been beaten and blinded. Having read about bringing dogs over from Romania, in 2013 Kelly set up the charity Safe Rescue for Dogs and very soon her sister Zoe Casey found herself fighting for the cause.

“My love of dogs started young,” explains Kelly, 47. At 14, I was volunteering for the RSPCA and spent every weekend and school holiday helping with day-to-day care,” she continues. I became used to caring for dogs with disabilities, as well as heart-breaking cruelty cases, and when I heard about the plight of foreign dogs, I knew I wanted to do all I could to change their future.”

Ten years ago, Zoe was working part-time, but as the charity grew and the plight of one particular group of dogs, the old and ill, became more apparent, Zoe got more involved. She helped her sister with the growing need to find foster care for the dogs they were bringing from abroad.

“I started supporting Kelly about eight years ago, but in 2020, I gave up my job at a petrol station to work at Safe Rescue full time,” Zoe (50), explains. Our ethos is to focus on predominantly older, more undesirable dogs; the ones few will take on. They have disabilities, health or behavioural problems, are broken, shut down and scared. We aim to fix them through rehabilitation and hopefully find their last forever home’.”