AN ANIMAL centre has been given a spruce up after receiving a donation of paint.

Four volunteers spent a week decorating the walls of the kennels and reception area at The Stray Aid shelter, in Coxhoe, Durham City.

The kennels dog-eared beige walls were painted over with frsh white paint donated by the Dulux Decorator Centre, in Sunderland under the company's Colouring the Community scheme.

The shelter needs to raise £50,000 every year to keep going.

Shelter manager Sue Bielby said: "The volunteers have done a great job brightening up the shelter.

"The walls have taken a real battering as you can imagine from the animals playful and often mischievous behaviour " We are very pleased with the new look and would like to say a huge thank you to Dulux Decorator Centres for donating the paint to enable us to carry out this redecoration."

Steve Nobbs, store manager at the Sunderland Dulux Decorator Centre, commented: "Stray Aid is a great centre for cats and dogs and we were honoured to help with this project with paint.

"Stay Aid is such a worthy cause and we are so pleased we have had a hand in brightening up the lives of all the animals and staff at the shelter"

Local charities wishing to apply for a Colouring the Community award can download an application form from www.duluxdecoratorcentre.co.uk.