Moira animal shelter givesunwanted pets a second chance

Local woman Karen Matthews set up ‘Almost Home’ with her husband Ian after working with animals on a voluntary basis since leaving school.

Five years ago Karen merged the charity with another small charity and more recently the couple decided they needed to open a separate shelter.

Karen and Ian also run ‘Pets Farewell’ pet and horse crematorium, which recently featured on the BBC show ‘The Farm Fixer’ with Nick Hewer.

“We take in a variety of dogs, as well as a few cats and small animals,” explained Karen. “Our aim is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome all animals that come through our door.

“We have several lovely dogs and cats waiting for a family to call their own. We are also asking for anyone who would be interested in volunteering whether directly with the animals eg walking, cleaning, home checks, transport or indirectly with fundraising.

“We now have a fantastic team of dedicated volunteers including Jill, Asha and Alison,” continued Karen. “As we work from home all visits are strictly by appointment only.

“I am totally blessed to be able to work both with the rescue and the crematorium,” said Karen. “Ian and I have so many animals that we wouldn’t be without.”

If you would like to find out more about ‘Almost Home’, would like to help the charity or are interested in offering a new home to an animal, contact the charity on 07922 921 852 or email [email protected]. The charity can also be found on Facebook by searching for Almost Home Animal Rescue NI.