This is Noah. Absolutley gorgeous isn't he. He is just one of a litter of 13 beautiful 'Akita' puppies that were born to a heavily pregnant stray mother, Nina, who came to us from a shelter in Ireland. When she arrived at the shelter she was in a sorry state and was fostered by the Head of the Volunteer section and his wife until she gave birth. The puppies are now 6 weeks old and ready to be rehomed. These puppies are lucky. Several of them have already been reserved and we are sure that it won't be long before they are all successfully rehomed. Rehoming of puppies is relatively easy but trying to rehome an elderly dog with an ongoing medical condtion is another thing altogether. Unfortunately it is the later who make up a large proportion of the residents in the dog section at any one time. The costs of their care is substantial.

The average stay of a dog at the shelter is 30 days and the cost of rehoming just one dog is £900. It costs £ 2.94 to microchip & £ 5.47 to worm and flea a dog which does not sound too bad until you realise that we microchip and worm and flea approx. 4000 dogs a year! Wood Green Animal Shelters are a national animal welfare charity which has been rehoming lost and unwanted animals since 1924. The Headquarters in Godmanchester is home to a variety of animals from Dogs and Cats to horses, sheep, rabbits and ferrets and is situated in 52 acres of farmland. The charity does not receive any Government funding and is not elligible for Lottery funding and so relies solely on the support of the general public.

I have been working in the dog section of the shelter as a volunteer every other Sayurday for over two years now. I have seen first hand the love and attention that these animals receive  but am always pleased, when I return a fortnight later, not to see the same faces! I am therefore running (or more aptly put 'slow jogging !) the Four Parks London Half Marathon on Sunday 11th October to raise money for this fantastic charity and also in loving memory of my own beautiful canine best pal, Dillon.The easiest way to donate is to donate through JustGiving. It is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity. So please dig deep and donate what you can.