Our History

The King Charles Spaniel Club created the post of a Rescue and Re-homing Officer in 1988.  Derek Wickens was initially appointed as the Rescue Officer for one year, and was then extended in post for a further seven year period.  This relationship continued successfully until 1995 when Derek felt that, with the number of older dogs coming into his care and the problems associated with puppy farms (or puppy mills) becoming more apparent, a permanent centre was needed.  This resulted in his resigning the post of KCSC Rescue Officer and the formation of Rescue & Rehoming as an independent organisation - but still retaining the support of the King Charles Spaniel Club, The King Charles Spaniel Association and The Northern King Charles Spaniel Club.

Our Experience

Derek Wickens has been responsible for the successful re-homing of many dogs.  He has been able to offer a previously-unknown quality of life to many dogs removed from several of the iniquitous establishments known as puppy farms.  He insists that all animals under his care receive the appropriate level of veterinary care whenever it is needed, regardless of cost.  There are currently over thirty dogs in his care ~ many of these animals are too old to be easily re-homed ~ but also too young to die.  Other dogs stay with him because he is aware that they will need a great deal of veterinary attention or, because of their previous experiences, are unsuitable for re-homing.  Several others remain with him because their owners asked that he would continue to care for their much-loved pets when they themselves were no longer in a position to look after them.  Taking all of these factors into account, Derek decided that a change of name - to the King Charles Spaniel Sanctuary - would better describe the facilities he was willing to offer.

Our Commitment

Derek Wickens has never turned a King Charles Spaniel away.  Each dog is assessed on arrival to ascertain its needs; dogs are only considered ready for rehoming when Derek is certain that all actual and potential veterinary problems have been resolved.  Sometimes all that a dog needs is privacy and individual attention; others find confidence in being part of a crowd.  Derek hopes and believes that, with his experience, he gets it right most of the time.  He also promises that any owner worried by what might happen to their pet in the event of their own death, or anyone perhaps afraid to replace a much loved companion because they themselves are getting on in years, are welcome to contact him.  He is more than happy to make the arrangements to look after pet(s) in accordance with owners' wishes when the time comes.  He knows how important the presence of a loving and trusted companion can be and hopes that he can give owners the peace of mind of knowing that a permanent caring environment will always be there for their four-legged companions.