Happy Pet, Happy Home, NI

15/10/2025

Existing Clients: availability update!

We had so many messages in response to our post about taking on a few new clients for home boarding, thank you so much for sharing. We have some meet & greets set up and we will be getting dates booked in where possible. This will reduce our availability again!

A lot of our existing regular clients have already got booked in with us for next year. Some have sent provisional dates, which is great - I'd rather have your dog pencilled into the diary and then cancel the booking if you don't need it, than have to say no because we don't have space. Changing dates around is usually do-able, if we have enough notice. We're happy to facilitate last minute requests - if we have space!

We're home-from-home and don't have crates, kennels, runs etc. The dogs boarding with us live with us as part of the family. This means our availability and capacity really is limited - we're also only part-time as we like to take time off with the kids as much as possible. We ideally like to have only one or two households at a time, occasionally we get an overlap for a day or two and the house is a little busier, and while we are grateful to be in demand, we prefer to keep things more calm, chilled and low numbers. So if we get last minute requests or the dates are already booked up, we may not be able to accommodate. We feel so bad saying no, as we build up such a bond with our regulars and never like to let anyone down - we just can't always say yes, as it would defeat the purpose of having a small-scale home-from-home. 

Our own dogs enjoy the company of the visitors, but don't like to be overwhelmed. And we do like to make sure they have regular family time with just us. Bottom line: we have very limited availability and capacity.

Please, please, send us dates for home boarding as soon as you have the thought of travelling, so that we can get you pencilled in and reserve the space. Please message on WhatsApp so I can keep track. Thank you 💙🐾

14/10/2025

Halloween Online Pet Show - Fundraiser for Tyrone Husky Rescue, organised by K9 Walker 🐾

Click on the post, all info is on K9 Walker's page - you just need to take a fun photo of your pet in a Halloween or Autumn themed photo - think fancy dress, props, or all the lovely autumn scenery at the minute - send across the photo(s) to K9 Walker and pay the small entry fee, help raise funds for a very worthwhile rescue that needs some extra help 🙏🏻

Dont forget our online show!!
The photo doesn’t need to be your pet dressed up! As long as there’s a Halloween theme- for more random the better!!! 👻🎃

14/10/2025

All these beautiful faces giving us lots of lovely company the past couple of weeks. Dogs are the best, always 💙🐾

13/10/2025

We’ve some rare spaces becoming available on a Tuesday/Wednesday in the Parkgate/Dunadry/Templepatrick area.
🐶🐾🐶🐾🐶🐾

01/10/2025

The last couple of weeks, cute little faces and paws, perfect company as always. Dogs make life better 🐾

24/09/2025

We have the guilt.... John and I were terrible dog-parents and went away for the night (lovely time at The Old Inn in Crawfordsburn!) and left the kids and dogs with my mum. It is actually a dog-friendly hotel and we think would be nice to take the dogs to the pub and for the walks around the area, some other time...

So we got home this morning and Bobby and Lola were all over us, lots of cuddles and paws. Lola was happy with a treat and a snooze. Bobby got a trip to at The Junction to have a good nosey round the dog section, and a walk at Antrim Castle Grounds with a run about the dog field. He enjoyed being the centre of our attention 🐾

That was our first time taking Bobby to Dobbies and we thought it was a good place to get him used to being out in a social setting while staying calm, loose lead walking and staying neutral when other dogs and people were walking close by. He's good with other dogs in our home (when he has given his approval) but he can be a bit more anxious when we are out and about in public and other dogs walk by or approach him, so it's a constant work-in-progress, he's doing pretty well 💙

23/09/2025

Lesley is great with the dogs, if anyone is looking for a groomer 🐾

21/09/2025

Fantastic news, well done Causeway Coast Dog Rescue and Jon Burrows MLA!

19/09/2025

CCDR has received calls from public to show their concern about , by coming together on Monday 22nd Sept from 11am to 2pm outside the entrance of Magilligan Prison. Ongoing questions remain, about a government funded project in which Bailey, a dog purchased with cash, was removed from a family home with women and children, despite showing fear of men, and placed full time at Magilligan Prison. An untrained dog, which has not been prepared as a working dog intended to support male prisoners, including s*x offenders, with their mental health needs. Please come along for this peaceful protest to by having him removed and this project closed down. We need stronger regulation to protect our animals. Thank you for your support🐾❤ BBC Radio Foyle .ni Irish Daily Mirror Sunday World Belfast Live Belfast Telegraph

19/09/2025

It's been a nice couple of weeks. Lovely visitors, making the most of secure areas for off-lead runs where possible because John and I are like 90 year olds at the minute 🤣 winter raincoats have come out and then took off because we can't figure out the weather. Welcome to Autumn and the season where we hunt for the 💩 in the 🍂🌿🍁

16/09/2025

If anyone would like to drop items for donation to us in Templepatrick, we are happy to act as a collection point and we can deliver to Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary

🆘 We Need BIG Towels!

Towels don’t last at the sanctuary — they are used daily, washed multiple times, and wear out quickly. If you are having a clear-out, please consider donating large bath towels or bath sheets. The bigger the better! 🛁🐾

⸻

If you’d like to gift something, here’s a list of the things we use regularly — and urgently need

🐴 Horses (Equine)

Feeds (essential)
• Bailey’s Everyday High Fibre Cubes
• Bailey’s Everyday High Fibre Mix (yellow bag)
• Dengie Alfa-A (yellow bag, chopped alfalfa)
• Dengie Hi-Fi Light (chopped fibre)

Supplements (essential)
• NAF Respirator Powder
• NAF Glucosamine 12,000 + MSM
• NAF Devil’s Relief Liquid
• Equine America Airways Liquid
• Hestavagard Pro-Fix Digestive Supplement

Medications (accepted donations)
• Danilon – individual packs if unopened/sealed
• Prascend – individual packs if unopened/sealed
(You can also donate directly to our vets to help cover prescription costs.)

Topical Care (essential)
• Animalintex Poultice
• Vet Wrap
• Botanica Anti-Itch Cream (Concentrate)
• Botanica Cream
• Botanica Healing Wash
• Anicura Horse Gel Ointment
• Anicura Horse Spray
• Red Horse Products Artimud (hoof putty)
• Sudocrem
• Vaseline / Petroleum Jelly
• General sprays (fly sprays, wound sprays, etc.)

Treats & Extras
• Apples – ✅ sweet/eating apples only
• ❌ no crab apples or cooking apples (too acidic for many horses, unsuitable for those with digestive issues)
• Carrots
• Pears
• Horse licks (Horslyx tubs, Likit holders & Likits)
• Dengie Horse Treats

🐶 Dogs

Essential Foods (always used)
• Butcher’s – Grain-Free Tripe Loaf Recipes (tins)
• Butcher’s – Grain-Free Succulent Recipes (trays)
• Scrumbles – Gut-Friendly Wet Dog Food (Chicken, Salmon, Turkey)
• Lily’s Kitchen – Countryside Casserole (dry food)

Treats (always used)
• Scrumbles – Gut-Friendly Dog Treats (Salmon Softies)
• Wagg – Cookie Bites (yellow pack)

Supplements & Specialist Treats (always used)
• YuMOVE – Joint Care for Senior Dogs
• YuMOVE – MAX Strength Joint Supplement
• Nutripet – Anti-Itch & Immunity Treats
• Nutripet – Pre-, Pro- & Post-biotic Treats
• Nutripet – Calming Treats
• Anacura – Anti-Itch Chews
• Stop Bloody Scratching Treats

Skin & Coat Care
• Anacura – Itchy Skin Dog Gel
• Anacura – Itchy Skin Dog Spray
• Anacura – Dog Gel Ointment

Other brands

Other branded dog foods, wet or dry, are accepted as donations and used when suitable.

🐱 Cats

Essential Dry Foods
• Purina Pro Plan – Adult Delicate Digestion (Turkey)
• Purina Pro Plan – Sterilised Adult Vital Functions (Salmon)
• Purina Pro Plan – LiveClear Anti-Allergen (Turkey)
• Royal Canin – Shelter Cat Food (rescue mix, white bag)
• Purina ONE – Dry Food (various flavours)
• Whiskas – Dry Food (Chicken, Tuna)

Essential Wet Foods
• Felix – As Good As It Looks (in Jelly or Gravy, all ages)
• Felix – Original (all ages)
• Whiskas – Fish Selection (all ages)
• Whiskas – Chicken & Turkey (all ages)
• Purina ONE – Wet Food (various flavours)
• Purina Gourmet Gold – Succulent Delights (with Chicken)
• Purina Gourmet Gold – Mousse (with Salmon)

Treats (always used)
• Webbox – Lick-e-Lix (Yoghurt, Liver Sausage, Cat Grass)
• Webbox – Tasty Stix
• Dreamies – Cat Treats (classic crunchy, various flavours)

Extras / Enrichment
• Fresh or frozen meat/fish (chicken, ham, tuna, etc.)
• Catnip

Other brands

Other branded cat foods, wet or dry, are accepted as donations and used when suitable.

🧴 Cleaning & Hygiene Supplies
• Washing powders / laundry detergents (3–4 loads/day)
• Washing-up liquid
• Hand soap
• Disposable gloves
• Reusable gloves (kitchen/yard type)
• Bin bags (all sizes)
• BIG bath towels & bath sheets (always needed!)
• Sheets & duvet covers
• ✅ New duvets accepted
• ❌ Used filled duvets not accepted (see below)
• Dust masks (non-medical, for hay/hen areas)
• Fly/pest sprays
• Bleach
• Bathroom cleaner
• Urine Stop disinfectant
• Kennel disinfectant
• Laundry neutralising detergents
• Mops & mop buckets
• Scrubbing brushes, sponges, cloths

🌾 Bedding & Forage (donations always welcome)
• Shavings
• Hay (any size bales)
• Haylage (any size bales)
• Straw
• Puppy pads / training pads (XL + XXL)
• Cat litter – any type (we use primarily wood pellet, but can use most types apart from paper)
• Towels, duvet covers, sheets

🛠️ Yard & Equipment
• Wheelbarrow wheels (yellow puncture-proof)
• Wheelbarrows (single-wheel, two-wheel)
• Yard brushes, floor brushes
• Grooming brushes (horses, dogs, cats)
• Buckets (14L, 40L+ trugs)
• Feed skips (rubber, 10–20L)
• Hay & water buckets (40L+ trugs)
• Heavy-duty storage boxes (XL)
• Hand shovels, yard/stable shovels
• Shavings rakes & forks (for rubber/non-rubber matting)
• Pitchforks
• Gloves (disposable & yard)
• Whiteboard markers
• Feed bowls (metal, plastic)
• Litter trays (large, ideally with lids)
• Large water containers (~1000L IBC tanks) for soaking hay

🎲 Toys & Enrichment
• Jolly Balls (dogs & horses, 4”+)
• Cat activity centres / scratching posts
• Catnip toys, balls, feather toys
• Horse treat balls, hay balls, boredom breakers
• Chicken treat balls
• Small animal treat balls/skewers
• Likit holders & refills
• Horse balls
• Tug toys, treat toys, boredom breakers
• Soft toys (cats & dogs – sanctuary will sort suitability; ❌ not soft plastic/rubber shreddable types)

❌ Not Accepted (and why)
• Go-Cat (cat food): unsafe, has caused repeated health issues in cats.
• Rawhide (dog chews): dangerous, choking/digestion hazard, always disposed of.
• Half-used medicines: unsafe; only sealed, unopened packs (e.g. Danilon, Prascend) can be used.
• Used duvets & pillows: filled bedding carries scents (undetectable to us, but not to animals); even after repeated washing dogs/cats usually p*e on or destroy them. ✅ New duvets are accepted.
• Soiled/stained bedding: we have been donated blood, urine, and poo-stained items; unsafe and unpleasant. Volunteers cannot be asked to handle these. Absolutely no.
• Crab apples & cooking apples: too acidic for many horses with digestive issues; often refused or cause upset stomachs. ✅ Sweet/eating apples are safe.
• Paper cat litter: not suitable for sanctuary use.

📦 How to Donate

Donations can be sent directly to:
Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary
26 Crosskennan Lane
Antrim
BT41 2QY

Or dropped off at the sanctuary during opening hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday — 10am to 4pm

If you would like to know more, or to arrange a drop-off outside these times, please email:
📧 [email protected]

Thank you so much for supporting the animals! 💕

16/09/2025

So glad that K9s on the Collin are open again after their well-deserved holiday. Bobby, Murphy and LewLew had a blast 🐾