Eamonn Holmes says he has been floored with emotions after learning about dogs rescued from meat trade, and is urging the public to consider saving a life by adopting a pet.
TV presenter Eamonn, whose rescue dog Maggie came from Dogs Trust, has leant his support to a charity rehoming dogs facing death in Asian markets and kill shelters in Romania.
He told DogsLive : “I was honoured to co-host an event this week for a charity that takes in dogs from some of the most horrific circumstances. They rehabilitate them and find them forever loving homes away from all the terror.
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“Like so many rescue groups across the UK and Ireland, the work can be intensely distressing and really emotionally challenging but of course very rewarding.
"K-9 Angels founders Victoria Featherstone Pearce and Pola Pospieszalska might present a very glamorous front and make it all look so easy, but normally they're working at the coalface of dog rescue and that's anything but glamorous, anything but easy.
“This week’s celebration of their charity's tenth anniversary was very fine affair with everyone beautifully attired and looking very fabulous.
“But behind all the glitter, the work that these ladies do, the work that their charity does across the world is the very opposite and exposes a real dark side to humanity and how many dogs are so badly treated.
“Some, in fact lots of their work, is just terrible; dirty and smelly, upsetting and downright distressing because they're rescuing dogs from the edge of death, from neglect and abandonment and from being sold for food.
“There must be many tears and moments when they question everything, but they keep going because they’re saving the lives of dogs who are either living in misery or are facing the end in the most horrific way, in a cooking pot. So anything I can do to help them is guaranteed.”
GB News star Eamonn said his own rescue dog, Maggie, is an inspiration for lots of good things in his life and supporting animal rescue is one of the most important.
He explained: “I look at our Maggie and I just cannot understand how someone would see her as anything but a wonderful companion - not something to be abused or neglected and certainly not food.
"I know the meat trade is an acceptable culture in many countries but I would urge anyone who can, to help the ladies at K-9 Angels in their mission to save dogs from the meat trade and kill shelters.
“It breaks my heart to know there are dogs out there just waiting to be rescued. Maggie is 12 years old now and she’s the heart of our home, everyone's favourite. We got her from Dogs Trust and we’ve discussed rescuing another dog but we can’t do that until Maggie decides she needs to leave us, because she’s the boss around here and we worry that bringing another dog into our home at her time of life might be too much of a challenge.
“So in the meantime I’m happy to support people who're doing all they can to save dogs from the most horrible fates.
“And this week my friends from K-9 Angels had me co-hosting their birthday event in London. This small charity has only been in existence for 10 years and already it has re-homed more than 1,200 dogs and sent hundreds of thousands of pounds of medical aid and food to animals in need, financed the building of a high-standard shelter and organised spaying and neutering campaigns.
“They have worked tirelessly and passionately without complaint and they've helped to open my eyes to the unthinkable situations many dogs find themselves in.
“We have discussed the awful places the charity workers have to go to physically and emotionally and the state of the poor dogs they rescue. It is heart breaking but inspiring and I feel very proud to be associated with them.
“These ladies have followed their passion with an incredible amount of work and inner strength, seeing things we will never see thankfully and they do it all for the dogs. The least I can do is support them.
“And while it’s really lovely for people to add my support to their cause and be made to feel special, the spotlight should really be on them and them only.
“I don’t know if I’d have the strength to do what they do, it must take huge emotional resilience to face these horrors and knowing there are people doing this work makes me feel so grateful.”
Eamonn said he hoped the public would turn increasingly to considering rescue and rehoming groups, adoption and fostering, and turn away from buying puppies who may be bred on vile puppy farms.
He said: “I can hardly put into words what I think about puppy farmers. Anything I can do, anything I can say, any action I can take to encourage people away from puppy farmers, then I will do it.
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“I know the pure joy of having a dog in our lives. We didn’t need to have Maggie as a tiny puppy in order to love her, we couldn’t love her any more than we already do. We didn’t have to spend a fortune on her to get a good dog, she’s the best dog we could have and we made a donation to Dogs Trust when we got her and we continue to support them.
“Dogs are not a commodity to be traded like a possession, they're precious living, breathing, loving family members and should be treated as such.
“So I’d say to anyone contemplating getting a dog, please stop and think. Have a look at the shelters, the rescues and rehoming centres too.
“Your perfect dog might just be the dog that needs you more than you know. Maggie is our perfect dog and we can never replace her, but we can rescue again one day. We have the perfect dog now and we will have another perfect dog another day hopefully long into the future."
If you would like to know more about K-9 Angels or donate to their work, click here and follow the link.
