A KENNELS in Teignbridge has launched a fund-raising appeal to renovate its secure stray dog pens.

Foredowne Kennels in Kingskerswell has already raised half the money needed but is hoping donations will help replace the turf and put on a roof.

A Go Fund Me appeal is looking to raise a further £600 to upgrade the pens where stray dogs meet their prospective new owners.

Almost 10 years ago the pens were upgraded from grass for artificial turf but this has now worn out and split.

Recent heavy winds and rain has has caused the turf to lift so much so that it is currently being weighed down by bricks.

There is no roof cover over the pens so they are open to the elements which means is can be difficult in winter to hold meetings with stray dogs there.

And the path to the pens is grass which is waterlogged and slippery and can become treacherous when walking with an excitable dog to the pens.

Kennel bosses are hoping they can renovate the whole area to include replacing the artificial turf with a new covering which should last for another 1o years.

They also want to put a roof over the the top of both pens to provide shelter.

The existing muddy path will be replaced with concrete to allow safe and controlled access to the pens.

A spokesman for the kennels said: ‘We have rehomed many thousands of dogs over the years and every single dog that went through this process used the secure pens to be let off the lead so they could interact naturally with the potential new family.

‘We would like to enhance the area so making the meet and greet and rehoming process a more pleasant and safe process.

‘Not only are the pens used for meet and greets with new families they are used for staff to let the strays off the lead and play with them so we can asses them to see how they behave and react to instructions, toys and treats, an essential part of our rehoming process.

‘The cost of these essential repairs/improvements will cost in the region of £4,700.

‘We have already raised £600 though a charity dog walk and we have a promise of free labour to fit the roof and we will provide our own labour to lay the concrete path but we are a little short on the remaining funds to pay for the new astro turf and the actual concrete delivery.

'Can we please call upon the generosity of our followers and past patrons to help with the cost of these repairs and improvements which will allow us to ensure the rehoming process we carry out is uninterrupted and is done in a safe and dry facility.

‘Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.’

It is hoped the project can be completed by mid March.