Published 23rd January 2025
This January, our four-and-a-half-acre site is a hive of activity as builders work hard to carry out careful plans that will enrich the lives of our dogs.
Thanks to our longstanding partners Mars Petcare, who kindly gave us a donation before Christmas we have been able to make some big improvements that will benefit our dogs now and in the future.
The biggest change is to our training barn. This is a bespoke facility that can be used, rain or shine, by kennel staff to exercise, train, and share quality time with our four-legged friends. When the barn was first built in 2016, a floor was installed that was, in hindsight, a little harder on some dogs’ paws than we would have liked. This meant that some dogs were unable to enjoy the barn. Thanks to Mars Petcare, and with a little help from our neighbours, Mole Groundworks, we now have a lovely soft, sandy floor which is much gentler on paws. It’s almost as good as the beach!
Cruz and Scout (pictured below) were two of the first dogs to experience the new-look barn and it’s safe to say that they love it. We also managed to capture the moment when Ziggy first felt the soft sand under his paws. You can see Ziggy’s sheer joy over on our You Tube channel here.
Another project that we have been able to complete, with the help of Mars Petcare, is our kennel screening. Over the last year or so, the contractor TK Windows & Doors has erected hard-wearing, PVC cladding on selected kennels. These panels screen dogs from each other, obscure the view of dogs that are being walked to play areas, and provide a little extra privacy from the hustle and bustle of Centre life for nervous dogs. The changes have really helped dogs like Benji to settle.
Over the years, Mars Petcare has been a great source of support, both financial and practical to L.A.A. In 2019, corporate teams from all over the Mars site in Melton (and some from beyond) worked hard to build an adventure playground for our dogs. In other years, Mars Petcare has taken on everything from building a rockery, to digging a pond, painting kennels to providing cat and dog food to help launch our community Pet Food Bank. Mars also provides dog and cat food each month to help feed the animals at L.A.A. as part of their Mars Adoption Mission. We can’t thank them enough for their support.
Suzie Hand, Communication Specialist at Mars Petcare says, “We are so pleased to hear that our donation has contributed to the renovation of the training barn floor and the installation of additional cladding. This enhancement will not only make the barn a more functional space, but it will also provide a calmer environment for the dogs, helping them settle faster and with less anxiety. It's wonderful to know that our support will have such a meaningful, lasting impact on the Centre."
Keely Short, General Manager of L.A.A. says, “We are delighted that our friends at Mars Petcare continue to support our vision of placing happy pets in loving, responsible homes. Over the years, Mars Petcare’s help with pet food, site renovations and a whole host of other projects has been invaluable. Their enthusiasm for the rehoming sector is exemplary and very welcome. We’re looking forward to welcoming more teams from Mars Petcare this year in what we expect to be a very exciting summer.”