DANGEROUS shards of metal were cleared from a dog rescue centre by a metal detecting club.

Rescue dogs at Lewknor Blue Cross were saved by Wessex Metal Detecting Club (MDC) after it helped remove metallic items that had been left behind following work on their newly-built dog run.

Staff at the rescue centre had to get on their hands and knees to make sure that nothing had been left that could cause injury to the dogs.

To be sure the area was safe the rescue centre reached out to the Wessex MDC.

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Items including rusty shards of metal and sharp nails were cleared from the new dog run.

Coming to the rescue by removing strange items or hunting for lost metallic objects is not an unusual task for Wessex MDC.

Alan Money a spokesperson for Wessex MDC said: “We get quite a few requests to help, from landowners losing jewellery items in fields, parts falling off tractors and requests to help clear large iron items from horse fields so it is not that unusual for us.”

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The animal loving metal detecting club also donated £50 towards the Lewknor rescue centre.

Runner Bean Coffee, a Thatcham based coffee company agreed to match their donation and help support the Lewknor Blue Cross.

Mr Money said: “Many of our Wessex MDC members have dogs and animals. We also spend lots of our time around wildlife with our hobby.

“It is a great gesture from the Runner Bean Coffee team to match our donation.”

The Blue Cross animal rescue centre has shelters in Lewknor and Burford and recently had a 515 per cent increase in the number of people applying to adopt dogs compared to the previous year.

These lockdown puppies have led to a huge surge in demand for dog training classes, so it is essential the dog run is free of sharp objects, safe and ready to use.

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Jenna Martyn, centre manager at Blue Cross Lewknor, said: “We are so grateful to Alan and his team for their help, when we contacted the club they responded so quickly and Paul was out to help within days, we truly can’t thank them enough for their time.”

She added: “The garden is such an important space for our dogs as it is a safe place for them to enjoy and explore and for my team to work on some training with them while they’re here at our centre waiting for their new homes so it is great we can now use it again.”

The RSPCA revealed it has received 391 reports of dogs in trouble in Oxfordshire this year and experts at the animal charity fear there is an impending dog welfare crisis on the horizon for 2021.

The RSPCA and the Blue Cross are urging people to ensure they can commit long-term to a dog before bringing one home, and they both suggest rescuing a puppy or dog from a shelter.

Kayleigh Hill, from Blue Cross, said: “It’s so important that people give serious thought to the responsibility of owning an animal and whether they can care for their lifetime.”

This October, the Lewknor Blue Cross team are raising funds for their rescue centre.

Donations can be made via GivePenny or using the link https://givepenny.com/blue-cross-week-2020-team-lewknor.