FARNHAM resident Rachael Welch is on a mission to save to lives of as many dogs as she can, as she roams Romania alongside her Dogs Walk This Way Rescue team.

After visiting Romania a few years ago and seeing the torture that some dogs suffer, Rachael could not walk away without trying to make a difference.

Dogs Walk This Way Rescue is a team of trusted rescuers in Romania, who fully assess the dogs before coming to the UK to start their new lives. There is also a UK based team, which works with fundraising, collecting donations and fostering.

Rachael said: “People ask me all the time ‘why save dogs from Romania, when we have dogs here who need adopting or protecting?’ Well for me the answer is very simple, the doggies here have laws to protect them and are put to sleep humanely.”

According to Rachael, in Romania every hour of the day dogs are dying in the “most brutal way imaginable”. Dogs are captured off of the streets or even stolen as the government pay the “dog catchers” money per dog to capture them, and keep them in the ‘kill’ shelters for 14 days before they are killed.

“While they are here they are usually starved and beaten and then killed, usually shovel to the head.

She has re-homed nearly 500 of these animals whose only crime was being born in Romania.

“They didn’t ask to be born and they sure as hell didn’t ask to die in such an awful way. We saved nine doggies from one of these places and one dog was even found alive in a freezer.

“Sadly that poor doggie didn’t make it but we rescued some of his buddies and they are all living happily here in the UK in wonderful homes.

Three months ago the team rescued 12 more dogs from a kill shelter. “We took the bigger, skinnier, older ones and the ones who probably didn’t stand a chance, but I knew give it a few months they would be like totally different dogs, and sure enough these doggies are all (bar a few) ready to be re-homed and find loving homes.”

However, all of this work comes at a cost, with outgoings such as feeding, veterinary work, vaccinations, passport and travel preps, the group are constantly in need of donations and sponsors.

Rachael concluded: “We desperately need adopters for the amazing doggies who are waiting so patiently. I have two dogs from Romania and they are the most loving and loyal companions you could ever wish for.

“We desperately need funds for food, vet work, etc. in order to pay for our 21 doggies that we currently have in Romania.

“We also send aid monthly to Romania with one of our transporters for our rescuers Crina, Anna and Mary. They all have over 400 dogs between them in their care. We have an Amazon wish list where people purchase things from for us to send to Romania.”

For more information or to make a donation contact the team on 07713 802 349, at [email protected], or by visiting them online at www.dogswalkthisway.com. Alternately follow their journey on Facebook by searching for ‘Dogs Walk This Way Rescue’.