Lakeland Trailhound Welfare
Lakeland Trailhound Welfare is a small organisation that was formed in 1997 to promote trailhounds as pets and find homes for them when they retire from racing in the Lake District. We home many youngsters who do not take to racing, as well as older retired hounds. Since we started we have homed over 1000 hounds that have retired from trailing. We home up to 80 hounds a year. Many hounds are found places in reputable rehoming centres which neuter, vaccinate, microchip and worm dogs before rehoming them. We feel this is the responsible way to rehome a hound. We also privately rehome hounds in carefully selected homes.
We promote trailhounds at dog shows during the summer and organise fund raising events throughout the year to help cover transport costs, kennelling and vet bills.
We are the only organisation in the country solely dedicated to homing trailhounds.
Eileen Robinson is the homing and welfare co-ordinator, and has had years of experience in finding places for hounds in reputable rehoming centres all over the UK. Eileen also co-ordinates homecheckers all over the country for hounds that are homed directly from LTW. She owns trailhounds herself and is always happy to offer advice on training and welfare issues.
Sue Lloyd fundraises and runs this website as well as transporting hounds to various parts of the country. She has had retired trailhounds since 1991 and is always happy to offer training advice. Sue is a short term foster carer for hounds, which enables hounds to be properley assessed before going on to their new homes.
Ways that you can help Lakeland Trailhound Welfare
Most people have never heard of a trailhound! We hope to change that by finding more ways of promoting them as pets. We have free information packs to send out to people.
Do you know of a venue where you could put up a small temporary display about trailhounds as pets? It could be a vet surgery, your dog training class, a dog show, at work etc.
Can you display one of our postcards in your local vet surgery or shop? If so, please email us and we will pop some in the post to you.
Perhaps you might like to do a fundraising event (free information packs can be sent to you to help with the event). All money we raise goes directly to helping trailhounds into retirement homes. Or perhaps you might like to fundraise for your local Dogs Trust branch who help so much with the homing of hounds.
We are always in need of bric-a-brac for car boot sales.
If you can help in any way with fundraising, please email sue@trailhoundwelfare.org.uk or call 01697 478383 or 07773 252350.
Peter Wilson
Lakeland Trailhound Welfare was originally set up as the Trailhound Trust by Peter Wilson in 1997. Peter worked tirelessly taking in hounds until he retired in 2007. Peter has helped to raise awareness that trailhounds make great pets by showing them all over the country, including at Crufts
In 2002 Peter went to Crufts after one of his hounds won PRO Dogs Pet of the Year. In 2005 Mandy was nominated for Hero of the Year award at Crufts after she raised the alarm when a fire broke out in the house.
Lady, a resident at the Trailhound Trust kennels for many years, won the Grand Final for bitches in the Companion Dog Club competition at London’s top Canine Event, Discover Dogs in 2006. Lady has been a PAT dog for many years, as have a number of Peter’s dogs.