Birch Hill Dog Rescue

First set up back in 1996, Birch Hill Dog Rescue has always offered unwanted, abandoned and neglected dogs the very best of care. The Rescue Centre is situated in the picturesque village of Neen Sollars, just over 2 miles from Cleobury Mortimer on the south edge of Shropshire. Birch Hill House was built in 1850 on the land which used to be a stone quarry. The "Live and Let Live" pub in the village

was built from the stone produced from here. During the war it was used by evacuees and six families were sent to stay here. The approach to the house is by way of a long drive which originally went through a damson orchard which in itself was unusual. Now in spring the drive is carpeted either side by a blanket of snowdrops. In 1989 the kennels were built for purely boarding purposes, but over the years things were to change. It was in 1996 that Jutta and Terry Patterson took over Birch Hill and continued to run the boarding kennels, but the Pattersons love of helping unwanted and mistreated dogs was to take over Birch Hill completely. They slowly began to take in abandoned dogs from here and there and if there was a needy dog wanting refuge, Jutta would always find a space for it. Before long the amount of rescue dogs coming in overwhelmed the number of dogs coming in for boarding. Sadly, without any support of volunteers to do any fundraising for them, the Pattersons had to fund the rescue from their own pockets. They received no donations in way of bedding or food for the dogs, and often especially in winter, to keep the dogs warm they would rummage through their own clothes to try and find some items to put in the dogs' beds. To say that life was harsh would be putting it mildly. Over time Birch Hill's reputation for giving the utmost care for the dogs would spread to other rescues. Other rescue charities began to house thir dogs at Birch Hill which provided the Pattersons with a little income in order to help their own needy dogs. Even the RSPCA would use the kennels to house ill-treated and badly neglected dogs, such was the level of care and patience that Jutta offered them. In 2002 Terry Patterson took on the role of Dog Warden for South Shropshire which he held for approximately 4 years. This meant that dogs picked up as strays would go to Birch Hill for 7 days, paid for by the Council until their owners collected them. However, after these 7 days the dogs left would have nowhere to go. Without any grant or support from the council, Jutta would then keep these dogs there too and try to find them new and loving homes. Having a non-destruction policy meant that dogs would stay there, no matter what age until a suitable home could be found for them. As you can imagine these extra dogs would add even more weight to an already heavy financial problem. Throughout these difficult times, Jutta and Terry would always support the other rescue charities, not just by caring for their dogs but also helping out with fundraising events even though they received none or very little support for their own rescue. In 2009 Birch Hill saw an increase in the dogs rescued by themselves which took up limited spaces available leaving other rescues to house their own dogs. Birch Hill nowadays concentrates on its own rescue, it has to. Sadly, now due to the economic climate we live in and the effects of the credit crunch, Birch Hill is struggling to survive, and as we are endeavouring to provide accommodation for more and more dogs, most of whom now need veterinary attention, we are finding it difficult to meet the soaring costs of providing a caring service. Since 2009 some light has come out of all the gloom, Birch Hill now has a handful of volunteers willing to change its history and to guarantee its future. These volunteers offer their spare time for free and help out with fundraising activities. In 2010 we were able to reach the requirements of the Charity Commission to become a registered charity. Over the years many a desperate dog has owed its life to Birch Hill Dog Rescue, its very own survival means that many more still have that chance. Your support is a vital part of our existence, every donation no matter how small is much appreciated.