Starfish Dog Rescue

Starfish Dog Rescue We are a small team dedicated to rescuing, providing medical care, and rehabilitating dogs. Join us in making a difference, one dog at a time.

From rescue to finding forever homes, we strive to give each dog a chance at a happy, healthy life. Starfish started many years ago now Easter April 2011 to be precise, before the name Starfish was given the founder was involved for many years with a larger Organisation and then proceeded to help smaller ones in the form of fostering/rehoming, photographer etc, it was something that was organicall

y growing for many years without really realising it as she gained more experience, more like minded people. In April 2011 while in Spain she visited a small rescue there full of the most beautiful dogs over 50 dogs with no hope of every finding homes run by a group of lovely individuals also feeling very overwhelmed - she said she would help two of them and go from there and that was how the Starfish name was born - already knowing this lovely poem and still to this day use it as our ethos you cannot help them all but these one you do "it makes a difference that one"

To run a rescue properly the dogs need Vet care, assessing properly, behavior issues worked with, matching up with the right home not just any home and back up for life - do this properly seem very overwhelming but seeing the forgotten souls in Spain helped make her brave and Starfish has slowly grown since that day collecting along the way a team of like minded people who worked together for the greater good of the dogs in their care. Still to this day she helps the rescue in Spain where it all started with helping with photographing, assessments, spreading the word with the local people in Spain but sadly because of the current situation in UK where us along with other rescues are completely overwhelmed with the number of dogs that need help we are unable to justify bringing dogs over from another country. Our Vets SPA are an invaluable part of the wheel for Starfish without them we think it would be impossible to do what we do and their help, support and love for our dogs is part of the magic of our rescue. We do not help dogs in big numbers as we are a small team but the dogs we do help nothing is compromised from their health care to end result their forever home so please do not be offended if we do not feel you are a match Starfish is always about the dogs and they will always be our priority. We provide ongoing support for the lifetime of the dog, we know things change and issues may crop up and we want to ensure our adopters always feel supported. If there are ever issues we cannot resolve or changes in circumstance which cannot be overcome, we offer full rescue backup for the lifetime of our dogs – this means they will always be rehomed by us after all avenues are explored.

Mavis update - happy, loved and living her best life. Thank you Family
24/04/2025

Mavis update - happy, loved and living her best life.

Thank you Family

What a lovely update for this dear little dog who had been used as a breeding machine 🥰Tilly now BettyHi Gilly, hope all...
23/04/2025

What a lovely update for this dear little dog who had been used as a breeding machine 🥰

Tilly now Betty

Hi Gilly, hope all good with you.

Just to say we're absolutely in love with this little dog, couldn't have chosen better .

She's a character, bosses the boys about and they happily tolerate it.

She's also made friends with the donkey.

Prada now Ruby having her first pupchino 🥰
23/04/2025

Prada now Ruby having her first pupchino 🥰

Mr Oreo now Rolo living his best life (one of 9 dogs rescued).He's doing amazing!! He is super quick at picking things u...
22/04/2025

Mr Oreo now Rolo living his best life (one of 9 dogs rescued).

He's doing amazing!! He is super quick at picking things up in training. His recall is already excellent, even when distractions are put in his way. We could not be happier. He has so much mental stimulation throughout the day between myself, Connor, my mum, my sister (in the video) & her partner Lee. He is a bouncy, happy little boy just enjoying being a puppy & loving life! Xx

Good morning from Chicca Chicken 🥰
22/04/2025

Good morning from Chicca Chicken 🥰

Gentle walk in woodland for lovely Chicca Chicken her recovery has been so quick nearly ready to join her forever family...
21/04/2025

Gentle walk in woodland for lovely Chicca Chicken her recovery has been so quick nearly ready to join her forever family after final vet check later in week 🥰

21/04/2025

Narla only a baby when she came to us now all grown up with her family on a day out to the seaside 🥰

Lovely Chicken just over two weeks of care when she was taken from a very sad situation 🥰
20/04/2025

Lovely Chicken just over two weeks of care when she was taken from a very sad situation 🥰

Happy Easter Tommy & Smarty living their best lives ❤️
20/04/2025

Happy Easter Tommy & Smarty living their best lives ❤️

19/04/2025

Chicken feeling so much better gentle strolls in the woods 🥰

Beautiful Meg settling into life with her lovely foster mum (cough cough 🤣) With her big sister Tess🤣
19/04/2025

Beautiful Meg settling into life with her lovely foster mum (cough cough 🤣) With her big sister Tess🤣

Mr Bramble also ex working dog with his beloved ball living his best life🥰 ❤️
18/04/2025

Mr Bramble also ex working dog with his beloved ball living his best life🥰
❤️

Buddy & Alfie ex working dogs living their best lives 🥰
18/04/2025

Buddy & Alfie ex working dogs living their best lives 🥰

Happy 3rd gotcha day Paco 🥰Hello Gilly and Deb. Its Paco's 3rd Gotcha Day today. 3 years of pure love and joy💛here he is...
18/04/2025

Happy 3rd gotcha day Paco 🥰

Hello Gilly and Deb. Its Paco's 3rd Gotcha Day today. 3 years of pure love and joy💛here he is with his tiny knitted pal Punto😂xx

17/04/2025

Beautiful Chicca Chicken at her Vet visit she is now home after being spayed keep her in your thoughts poor baby.

16/04/2025

Chicken wanted to taste the pork pies yesterday and then she kissed a donkey.

She has Vets today and some very important visitors who probably need her as much as she needs them.

She has stopped itching finally and those sore ears are not driving her nuts with the pain.

A very special dog this little girl is she is one of the special ones who just shows you despite what they have been through and witnessed they are determined to put it in a box and live their best life 🥰

16/04/2025

Betty one of my favourite foster dogs so lovely yo see her so happy and so very Betty 🥰

Hi Gilly, Betty is nearly 2 years old.

She has settled down beautiful and calming down too although she is still a mischievous little thing with a lot a fun.

She loves retrieving things even if it's on the top of a bush.

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Stroud
GL68AD

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Our Story

STARFISH DOG RESCUE - Starfish Rescue has been many years in the planning I feel and this is the time and point it was meant to happen where it will go I cannot tell but I believe in fate and God and we will see where it takes us. Starfish will be a non profit rescue with every penny being spent on the dogs - we have no overheads of kennels or staff it is completely run by volunteers. After many years of fostering, rehabilitating, working for one of the largest organisations as Rehoming Officer learning all the time something happened that has given that push to start up a New Rescue - I know there are lots of Rescues around and I will continue to work closely with them as I always have. Starfish is about making a difference not only to dogs but to people too - over the years having helped people who have been through no fault of their own having to make the heart breaking decision to rehome their dogs I know how much it has meant to them knowing that their dog will be in a foster home rather than a noisy kennel being loved as a family member until their perfect home is found a lot of people have found comfort in this especially with updates and pictures of them in their new life that has been a great comfort. We have also helped people find homes for their dogs while they continue to live with their owner and again a heart breaking decision that has been made that bit easier. What has finally pushed me forward is as a family we spend a lot of time in Spain and this year I approached a local Dog Rescue to see if there was anything I could do to help - my life has not been the same since - many dogs have been sitting there for years with little chance of finding a home - lovely well balanced sweet natured dogs - I could not let this happen - its a very overwhelming problem half of which is caused by the British that have moved to Spain and with the current economic situation have moved to England and abandoning their dogs in droves. My aim on a small scale is to get some of these lovely dogs back to UK and into family homes again - everyone wants the small dogs and puppies in Spain not the older dogs or x breeds. All dogs will be kept in fostering homes where they will be loved as part of that family and assessed as to what sort of home will suit them best. We are very limited to what we can do by the strength of our resources, both financial and human - we are short in both areas and will also need help from people either to raise funds or foster. Because of us being a small rescue based on foster homes we cannot help dogs that are aggressive with other dogs or people as most of the foster homes will have residents dogs, cats, children or visiting children. Why Starfish - I was so overwhelmed by the problem in Spain but also here in the UK how could I make a difference and this poem kept coming to me for some reason and maybe you will understand my motivate after reading it... The Starfish An old man was walking down the beach just before dawn. In the distance he saw a young man picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the sea. As the old man approached the young man, he asked; "Why do you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of time?" The young man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun. "But there must be thousands of beaches and millions of starfish, exclaimed the old man. "How can your efforts make any difference?" The young man looked down at the small starfish in his hand and as he threw it to safety in the sea, he said; "It makes a difference to this one!" DONATIONS We are always grateful for donations. Our paypal address is [email protected] Dogs for Adoption ADOPTION PROCEDURE Please note everyone who helps or fosters does this voluntary - we all work and have families and do this totally for the love of dogs and helping them onto a new life - most of us have dug deep in our pockets to make this happen - we have to charge a donation fee to cover the expenses of the vets, transport and pet passports otherwise we could not keep going and continue to help other dogs so please understand this that is what you are paying for not the dog. If you are interested in one of our dogs please email in the first instance for one of our adoption questionnaires which answers all our questions. All homes will be vetted. All dogs will be neutered, fully vaccinated before homing. Donation fee is to help towards these expenses. Please note with the Spanish Dogs we will have to charge a higher donation fee as we have transport costs and Pet Passports to pay for and would be unable to help anymore. I am the reason, The dogs before me are the reason. As are the ones who come after. Our lives would've been wasted, our love never given. We would die if not for you