By Miranda Pell
A dog rehoming centre has partnered up with Manchester-based clothing brand Uskees to show off the pooches that are looking for their new home. Dogs 4 Rescue, based in Manchester, rescues dogs facing euthanasia across the UK and even around the world. They are a kennel free centre and have successfully rehomes more than 2,700 dogs since 2013. Now, in a bid to get noticed by potential human partners, 12 rescue dogs searching for their forever home have been handpicked to be top models in a new campaign for Manchester based clothing brand Uskees. In an extraordinary fashion shoot, the human models teamed up with canine partners from Dogs 4 Rescue to show the dogs in their best light, helping potential future owners to imagine them living their best life. Founder of Dogs 4 Rescue, Emma Billington said: 鈥淲e are always trying to change the perception of rescue dogs as many people still opt to pay thousands of pounds to a breeder when there are thousands of perfectly rehome-able and often young, healthy dogs available in rescues. “We thought this was a fun way to show people that our dogs are happy, healthy, well-mannered dogs who would make the 鈥榤odel鈥 pet. We鈥檙e really pleased with the way the campaign has turned out – it demonstrates that there鈥檚 a perfect rescue out there for everyone 鈥 whatever your circumstances or lifestyle鈥 Wayne Fearnley, Brand Lead from Uskees said: 鈥淲hen we heard about Dogs 4 Rescue, and the amazing work they do, we wanted to help. “Our clothing brand is all about encouraging a stronger and longer lasting relationship between people and their garments, and so we thought it would be a great fit to help these dogs find their forever family to create that strong, lasting relationship with. 鈥淲e came up with the theme of dog shows and challenging the old stereotypes of what a best in breed or a best in show should look like. We believe that rescue dogs are every bit as worthy of these titles as a pedigree show winner and wanted a campaign that would show off the different personalities of the dog. “The message behind it is that everyone can find their own perfect rescue dog 鈥 one that matches your energy, your vibe, and your lifestyle.鈥 One of the models Bonny, a 3 year-old Spitz cross, was left abandoned in a house and taken to a council pound. Having found her confidence again at the rescue she was the perfect princess relishing in all the pampering and looking like a prom queen. Bonny is looking for a quieter home. Peppa, a 7 year old Staffordshire bull terrier came into Dogs 4 Rescue鈥檚 care after her dad sadly passed away. She is described as “a real diamond of a dog”, she is incredibly loving and sees herself as something of a lap dog. She adores everyone she meets and will give you her heart completely. There are currently almost 50 dogs available for rehoming at Dogs4 Rescue. Founder of Dogs 4 Rescue explains why so many dogs are in need of a new forever home. Emma said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a perfect storm. In 2020 when we went into lockdown, lots of people were working from home and so they got a puppy. “Unfortunately for many people this wasn鈥檛 a permanent situation and when they went back to the office, found they couldn鈥檛 meet the dogs needs and so we started to see an increase in the numbers of dogs surrendered to rescues up and down the country. 鈥淭hen came the cost-of-living crisis, which was devastating for many humans and pets alike. So many people struggled with the costs of food and veterinary care and so the numbers of surrendered and abandoned dogs surged again to the record levels we have now. 鈥淩escues everywhere are full. Local authority pounds are full. Euthanasia of young, health family pets is on the rise. I think people would be shocked to hear that thousands of healthy young dogs are put to sleep each year simply because there is no-where for them to go. 鈥淭he people at the pounds and in rescues are working tirelessly for every dog but it鈥檚 a challenge every single day because breeders continue to bring more dogs into the world and people continue to buy puppies. We鈥檙e asking people to consider rescue as the first option. I think people would be surprised at how many wonderful, loving family pets are out there. We offer a full one month trial before asking if you want to move forward with adoption, because for us it鈥檚 all about finding the right fit.鈥 All the dogs needing homes can be found on the Dogs4Rescue website.