Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre is a lovely place. It's out in the middle of nowhere and has a…read morepeaceful atmosphere to it. The staff are mainly volunteers who really love what they do and take pride in looking after the animals and sending them to suitable homes. A couple of our family dogs have come from here and they have always been delighted to hear from us when we have kept in touch after taking the dog home. They often hold fundraiser events so look out for these, and go and help them raise some money for this very good cause.

To be honest, I have never visited an animal shelter that would get less than five stars. To take…read moreon the responsibility of providing shelter and rescuing animals with very limited resources, that takes a big heart... although if you see how cute some of these animals are, who could resist?! Originally I had suggested to Mr. Snarky that we go play with some puppies to help relieve the stress caused by work. I remembered that there are some universities in the U.S. that are bring cute animals in right before exam time to help students relieve stress. So I thought it could work in this instance. Parking isn't a problem, but if you find all the parking on the road taken, we parked at Sainsbury's on our first visit (since we were going to pick up a couple of things after) and walked over. You could hear the dogs barking and there were a couple out in the play area. When we walked in, there were loads of pictures of animals that had been adopted. The lady behind the counter told us not to stick our fingers in the cages... so unfortunately no petting or cuddling with the animals. They have more dogs than cats (well at the time we went) and they seemed to be larger dogs. I only noticed this because we live in an apartment so we don't have a lot of room for a large dog, nor a yard of our own. However, there was one cutie who must have caught onto the 'no fingers in the cages' rule as she pushed herself up against the door to her pen so you didn't have to stick your fingers in the cage. Clever girl! And her eyes... oh those eyes. We went inside to look at the cats. At the time we thought they only had six cats as those were the only ones on display. There was a black kitten that was so loving and couldn't seem to get enough of Mr. Snarky. We had seen an ad for Suzie, a 3-year-old cat who had been at the shelter for about 13 months and couldn't seem to get adopted because she is a bit of a grouch. Mr. Snarky has a soft spot for these kinds of animals and was considering adopting her. We left and while we did not get the cuddle/play time I had been hoping for, we did succeed in starting a discussion about adopting a pet. On the next visit, one of the staff spent some time with us showing us the cats and talking about the characteristics of each one. Our original idea was to adopt Suzie, but also get a younger cat for some playfulness, but also knew that the staff would let us know what would be realistic. The staff member did tell us that Suzie wouldn't be good with another cat and the black cat that we were looking at had just been adopted. That's when the staff member told us about two pairs of siblings that were ready for adoption if we really wanted two cats. They were just being held in different areas because they didn't have enough room in that particular room. So we took a look at the first pair... two months old! The sisters (one black and one white) were curled up together in the midst of other cats pawing and meowing at us. There is a male cat (not sure if he has been adopted yet) but he is a brilliant, loving ball of fur and we nearly adopted him... you should go visit him. However, I may have fallen in love with the little white mustache on the black kitten of the pair. We then went upstairs to visit a brother and sister duo that were absolutely full of energy and if you have a fly problem, they will take care of it! The staff member did explain details about both sets of kittens so we could understand what we were getting into and make the best decision. Ultimately we went with the two-month old kittens. They chipped the kittens, fed them a bit of chicken, and filled out the paperwork for us. We also picked out some collars and tags which they engrave with your address and phone number... although these two are far too small to be wearing anything like that. The staff were so helpful and answered our questions and told us that the kittens have had their first set of vaccines and gave us a voucher to get them speyed at six months at their vet. They put all of their paperwork and records in a folder for safe keeping and also put a piece of the bedding that the kittens were sleeping on in the kennel to help with the transport. They also said they would give us a call in a week or two to see how things are going and told us to ring them or stop in if we have any questions or concerns. The kittens are now exploring their new home... don't worry, I will post some pictures :) You should definitely go and visit and they are in need of donations (bedding, food, money, etc.) and also volunteers to walk dogs.

Dogs trust is a rehoming centre based in huyton merseyside…read more It has large green areas so after checks you can walk the dogs around site. All dogs are well looked after and staff very friendly. Grounds are very nice and nicely maintained.

The staff at the Dogs Trust in Huyton are friendly and helpful and do wonderful work. Although I…read morepersonally have not had a dog from here, I have taken neighbours to the centre and have looked in the past for a breed that I wanted, that sadly they didn't have. When you visit you walk through a wonderful doggy playground that they use for the poor dogs that are waiting on new homes. So if you need a canine companion take a look at the Dogs Trust, as they just my have the doggy for you! If they sadly don't then perhaps you can do like me and drop them some food, toys and blankets in when you can as well as any financial help you are able. The good thing about the Dogs Trust is they don't put healthy dogs down and will look after them until they can go to their new forever home...

Easterleigh is an independent animal sanctuary which takes in abandoned and unwanted animals, it is…read morea registered charity and relies totally on donations and fund-raising to continue its work. Unlike many rescue centres Easterleigh does not restrict itself just to dogs, cats and other small pets but also has horses and even on occasion pigs, chickens and geese! They also stress that they never have a healthy animal put to sleep. It is a big barn of a place and is very relaxed, you can just walk around unaccompanied to look at the animals and if you are interested in adopting one you can see a member of staff who'll talk you through the whole procedure. If you would like to adopt an animal there is a mandatory home visit just to check that the home is suitable for the particular animal chosen. It is also worth noting that in the case of tenants they require some form of consent from the landlord of the property to confirm that pets are allowed at the property. They ask for a donation upon adoption which was £50 for a cat when I visited. So, if you're considering a cat or a dog (or even a pig!) as an addition to to your family why not check out Easterleigh? It is far better than buying an animal from a breeder or puppy farm and you'll be giving some little critter who's down on its luck a second chance at a happy life, not to mention all the joy it will bring into your own life :-)

13 years ago we adopted a collie cross named Meg. She has been the best dog in the the world. She…read moresadly past away 3 weeks before xmas from cancer. She was about 15, and still as strong as an ox except for the cancer. We are heartbroken. Meggy touched hundreds of lives and made thousands smile. We had her from Eaterleigh. Thank you very much for giving us Meggy. Please support them.

A great company and very nice people as well as having great dog runs, we have 2 large dogs; oscar…read moreand alfie and they needed more room and we may have more, so needed a large run and not just a kennel. This gives them plenty of room as they are BIG dogs and we are happy to leave them if w go out as they can move around in comfort. Good service and installation was quick and efficient. Would recommend 100%

From the owner: Preston Animal Housing manufacture, supply and install outdoor animal enclosures for domestic pets,…read moreprofessional breeders, animal rescue shelters & charities, boarding kennels & catteries, zoos and vets.

The first thing you can hear as you walk down the driveway to this animal shelter is the howling…read moreand yelping (no pun intended) of dogs. It's horrible. But, as animal shelters go, this one isn't too bad. Don't get me wrong, it's not a lap of luxury or anything, but the dogs seem to receive basic care. However, the cat side of the shelter looked lovely! I went in one day to see if there was a little doggy I could take home before I ended up with Henry and Missy (my two dogs). I got to the shelter at about 12.50pm and wasn't greeted by anyone. I wandered around trying to find out how to get in etc. About 5 minutes later, 3 members of staff came out and had a fag... they were adamant that no one was getting in until after 1pm. I thought this very strange, why open only 3 hours per day, 6 days a week, if you are bombarded with animals that you can't look after? Anyhow, once in the shelter, it was so hard to not just open up all the cages and bring them all home. I think every cage was taken, and every dog looking sadder than the last. I discussed with a member of staff how to go about taking a dog, it was a very long and complicated process involving a check of your house (which does make you think they're being a bit hypocritical considering the wire cage they currently live in). It cost around £100 for all the administration charges etc. which isn't bad considering they're a charity.

When we went to the centre we were hoping to possibly adopt one for the cats or dogs, when we got…read morethere the cat side of the centre was locked and could only be accessed by appointment. The dog side of the centre was sad looking and very rough looking, all the dogs were locked outside in the tiny cages with no access to the inside, when we went it was cold and had been raining, the dogs had shelter but no comfortable warm bed to keep them warm outside, it was heartbreaking to see how sad they all looked, it was extremely noisy as every dog was barking to get attention (I would to if I wanted to get out of there) left feeling deflated and awful for leaving them all in that state.

A wonderful place to visit. This is owned by World Horse Welfare which is the new name for the…read moreILPH(International League for the protection of horses) You turn off the road onto a long winding driveway and follow the path to the visitor parking. The entrance is modern, bright and welcoming. You enter into the coffee shop/reception area. This is where you meet your guide. All are volunteers and all are very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and very friendly. You are given a sticker and the magic really begins. You leave the reception into a airy stable yard. On the right there are two huge deeply straw filled areas(stables really doesn't do it justice!) Walking between them you enter the stable areas.Your guide has the history of each resident and you get the opportunity to make some new friends. The tour takes in the various areas that make penny farm such a wonderful and successful place. you will visit the tack room ,the medical unit, the schooling area, the walker and there is also the opportunity to have a walk down to the numerous fields. You may even get to meet the stable cat!! After your tour the cafe offers light meals, snacks and drinks. It is light and airy with pine tables & chairs which are well spaced. additionally, the toilets are clean and modern. After your snack the gift shop always seems to call me! Here you can buy various horse related items- prints, postcards, mugs, Christmas cards, books and toys. It is free to visit Penny farm and although donations are welcomed there is no pressure to donate. Penny farm also hosts children's birthday parties (wish I was 8 again!) and has an open day every September. The opening times are 11am-4pm Wed, Sat & Sun. They are also open bank holidays. It really is a magical place and I always feel so happy when I have been to see my horsey friends!