MORE than a century of saving homeless hounds has been celebrated in the North-East by the country’s largest dog welfare charity.

Wagging tails and a dog-friendly birthday cake marked 125 years since Dogs Trust was founded by socialite Lady Gertrude Stock, who was supported by a small group of canine lovers.

Hundreds of thousands of dogs have since been taken in by the charity, including 27,000 four-legged friends in the Dogs Trust’s Darlington rehoming centre.

After opening in the 1992, the Sadberge-based site has since grown to employ 36 members of staff dedicated to finding forever homes for forgotten pups.

More than 90 volunteers also get stuck in with kennel cleaning and dog walking to support the region’s abandoned and abused pets.

Gordon Norrie, Dogs Trust Darlington supporter relations officer, said: “It’s wonderful to look back over the years and see how far Dogs Trust has come in making vital improvements in dog welfare.

“I’m sure Lady Gertrude Stock couldn’t have imagined that the initial meeting of a handful of dog lovers would grow to become the largest dog welfare charity in the UK with a slogan famous worldwide.

“Helping stray and abandoned dogs has always been at the forefront of Dogs Trust’s aims and in this, our 125th year, we were delighted to welcome the introduction of compulsory microchipping in England, Scotland and Wales.

“This essential element of responsible dog ownership is the most effective permanent way of ensuring a lost dog is reunited with its owner so we hope to see a decline in the stray dog population in years to come.”

For more information on Dogs Trust Darlington, call 01325-33114, or visit dogstrust.org.uk/our-centres/darlington/