Dog Friendly Sussex: West Sussex MP visits Dogs Trust Shoreham to learn about impact of cost of living crisis on the charity

Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, was recently welcomed back to Dogs Trust Shoreham Rehoming Centre, where he was greeted by a wagging tail reception.

The MP is a devoted supporter of the charity, having previously visited the Dogs Trust centre in 2018 and 2021.

As a member of the Dogs Trust Puppy Smuggling Taskforce, Mr Loughton has regularly attended events in Parliament organised by the charity to highlight the illegal puppy smuggling trade. He also recently supported the organisation by signing an open letter from the MP for Penrith and the Border, Dr Neil Hudson, which called for the Government to bring back the Kept Animals Bill which has been held up in Parliament since 2021.

During his visit to the centre, Mr Loughton met with Mark Rose, Dogs Trust Shoreham’s assistant manager, to talk about the ways the cost of living crisis is having an impact. He was interested to hear more about the charity’s work around the current pressures of the cost of living, including the new dog food bank which has been set up at the centre, which is available for donations and collections seven days a week.

Mr Loughton also talked at length with the team about the significant number of handover enquiries resulting from the rising cost of living, with many owners forced to make the heartbreaking decision to relinquish their dogs.

Following his visit, Mr Loughton said: “It was a pleasure to visit Dogs Trust Shoreham in my constituency once again and to meet not only the lovely dogs but also the dedicated staff who take care of them and work so hard to find them new homes. It was great to hear more about the lengths that staff go to, to support dogs that have been handed over to the centre.

“I was interested to hear about the work the charity does locally to support dog owners facing cost-of-living pressures and would encourage any dog owner struggling to visit Dogs Trust’s website to learn more about the services that they provide.

“After visiting the centre, and seeing the different dogs available to be rehomed, I am keener than ever to encourage anyone looking to welcome a dog into their lives, to consider either adopting or fostering a rescue dog.”

Mark Rose, Dogs Trust Shoreham Assistant Manager, added: “We were delighted to welcome Tim back once again to update him on our work. Tim has visited us a number of times and it was clear how much interest he has in continuing to support our work both locally and in Parliament.

"We are very grateful for his support in promoting our work and the services that we provide here at the rehoming centre to people across Shoreham, and we look forward to welcoming him again in the future.”

To find out about the dogs up for adoption at the Dogs Trust Shoreham Rehoming Centre, visit: www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming.