Chance of a Lifetime

We need your help to keep this vital programme running.

Chance of a Lifetime (COAL) was set up in 2003. At that time 10,000 dogs were being put to sleep in council dog pounds. That figure has dropped to under 700 with more dogs being returned to their owners because of microchipping and neutering is creating less unwanted dogs. In 2015 COAL transferred 1,973 dogs to Dogs Trust in England and Scotland for rehoming, so if COAL didn’t exist then the figure for destruction would have been 2,673 instead of 700. Since 2003 COAL has saved almost 30,000  dogs.

You can see just how important the Chance of a Lifetime scheme is to the many dogs who for whatever reason find themselves stray and abandoned in council pounds. We will continue to work towards the day that no healthy re-homable dog is ever put to sleep.

The dogs are identified by the council kennels as re-homable, taken in by local rescues, isolated, vaccinated, checked by a vet and after 10 days are transferred in our specially fitted out COAL ambulance to Dogs Trust centres in England.

Each transfer takes 20 dogs and pups at a cost of £400 per trip for ferry and fuel costs. These transfers happen *twice weekly and are completed and manned by volunteers.

We need your help to keep this vital programme running. Here are some ideas of how you could help. You could:

♦ Organise an event to raise funds:
♦ £20 – saves one dog
♦ £400 – saves a full van load of dogs – that is up to 20 dogs and puppies.

Each trip to England costs £400, which covers the return boat trip and fuel for the 800 mile trip. Assisi funds these trips twice a week. If you would like to make a donation to COAL, please Click Here and mark your donation COAL.

If you would like to find out more about the COAL programme please contact us on – 028 9181 2622.

*Due to Covid19 restrictions, we are currently only operating one trip per week.