Rescue is not for the faint-hearted. Every day begins with the same urgent calls, desperate messages, and impossible decisions. For our small rescue in the Wirral, there’s no such thing as a quiet day. Every moment is spent fighting against the clock, trying to save as many lives as we can with limited resources.

A Flood of Pleas Before Breakfast

By 10am, the first wave of calls and messages has already arrived. Sharon, our team leader and a full-time vet, tries to focus on her clinic work, but the notifications don’t stop. Each one is a heartbreaking plea for help, a life hanging in the balance.

• A family is being evicted, leaving their two dogs homeless. Social services inform us that if no one takes them by the end of the day, they’ll be euthanised. We scramble to find space, knowing time is running out.
• Minutes later, another message arrives. A hospitalised patient reveals they’ve been unable to care for their two dogs for three days. No one even knew the dogs existed until now. They’re alone, frightened, and vulnerable.
• Then comes the case of a heavily pregnant mastiff, abandoned and ready to give birth. She has nowhere to go, and the clock is ticking. We desperately search for a solution, knowing how critical the next few hours will be for her and her unborn pups.
• And Bronson. A three-year-old American bulldog, shuffled between people after his owners tried—and failed—three times to have him put to sleep. He’s sweet-natured, crammed into a crate, licking fingers through the bars in a heart-wrenching video. If we can’t find space, he’ll be handed over to the authorities, where his future is grim.

The sheer number of requests and the scale of potential or immediate tragedy boggles the mind. But these aren’t stories. They’re real messages we’ve received, in a single day.

The Hard Choices

We are full. Every foster home, every kennel is at capacity. The funds in our account are stretched to breaking point. Yet the calls keep coming, and we can’t ignore them.

Sharon forwards the cases to the team, delegating tasks with the precision of someone used to working under intense pressure. 

“I remember being on my hands and knees that day, scrubbing the kennels, with my phone tucked into the neckline of my top and buzzing away. Dealing with the practicalities of caring for the animals we already care for, while trying to think of any way – any possible way – to help with the new emergencies flooding in. The pressure is almost paralysing, but out of sight, the team is rallying – proof just how much a single volunteer can make a difference.”

– Sharon, Founder of Celandine Wood

Someone calls boarding kennels, trying to find space for Bronson. Another starts a social media appeal for fosters, hoping to free up room for the pregnant mastiff. Temporary kennels are erected, behavioural assessments are scheduled, and emails are sent to other rescues across the UK.

Every decision is a gamble: who can wait? Who needs to be saved today? For every dog or cat we manage to help, there are others we have to turn away. Those choices never get easier.

Small Victories, Big Costs

By the end of the day, the first two dogs arrive. They aren’t the well-loved pets we were told about. Instead, they are terrified, their bodies riddled with fleas and their fur patchy from untreated skin conditions. Their nails are overgrown, their eyes wide with fear. But they are alive.

The team sets to work. They are bathed, treated, vaccinated, and given fresh collars and cosy beds. Slowly, they begin to settle. For the first time in what may be months—or years—they are safe. We promise them they will never be abandoned again. However long it takes, we will find them homes that deserve them.

Bronson’s Story

Bronson’s case haunted us that night. The video of his kind eyes peering through the bars of a crate wouldn’t leave our minds. His deadline was short, and every option seemed exhausted.

Sharon worked late into the night, calling rescue contacts and brainstorming with the team. A temporary solution finally came through: a boarding kennel with an isolation facility agreed to hold him. It was far from ideal, but it bought us time. Bronson was safe—for now.

Each victory comes with its own set of challenges. Bronson will need behavioural assessments, medical care, and eventually a forever home. But for tonight, he is alive. And that is enough.

Why We Keep Fighting

This is rescue life. It’s relentless, exhausting, and often heartbreaking. Some nights, we collapse into bed with relief, knowing every animal on the day’s list is safe. Other nights, we lie awake, mourning the ones we couldn’t save. But through it all, we carry on, fuelled by the belief that every life is worth fighting for.

The truth is, rescue work is at an all-time low. Requests for help flood in every day, while funds and space dwindle. The country urgently needs stricter laws on breeding and selling animals to prevent this crisis. Until that happens, we will keep going.

How You Can Help

Bronson, the mastiff, and the countless other animals we’ve rescued all have one thing in common: they were saved because of people like you. Your support—whether it’s a donation, fostering, or volunteering—makes this work possible.

If you can help us, please get in touch. We need you. They need you. Together, we can give these animals the second chance they deserve.

Saving one animal won’t change the world, but it will change the world for that one animal.