MANAGEMENT at Animal Care will not be able to properly look after abused dogs unless they quickly find another £28,000 .

After years of fund-raising, Animal Care has finally raised £150,000 to build the new kennels and isolation unit demanded by the council's environment department.

But when members of the managing committee opened the tenders last Wednesday night they were shocked to find the cheapest bid was £178,000.

That means that sick dogs like, George, who was found starving at Lancaster's quayside on Monday, could end up infecting a number of animals. Last year Animal Care suffered an outbreak of parvo which killed two dogs.

Animal Care manager Val Harwood remembered: "None of us slept for two nights for worry after opening the tenders. In the end we've decided to go ahead with the main kennel which will cost £148,000 and we're launching an emergency appeal to try and raise the rest. I've already written to 60 trusts asking for money. We could get a £5,000 isolation unit but it wouldn't last five minutes before we have to knock it down and start again. We can't be going through this every few months."

Val said she couldn't be sure what kind of dog George was because he was too thin. She said: "We think its a Collie cross but we can't be sure. He's completely lifeless. He's between six and eight years old and has obviously been abused all of his life."

Last weekend Animal Care was inundated with calls from people who wanted to adopt a kitten. They were responding to our front page story about three kittens who were saved from being crushed in a bin wagon. In the end most the kittens and cats were taken to good homes.

Anyone who can help in the new appeal for Animal Care is asked to call Val and the rest of the Animal Care staff on 65495.

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