A SMALL dog rescue charity based in Poole says it would spend a competition cash wind-fall on a new van or vets’ bills.

Dorset Dog Rescue is one of the shortlisted organisations that could win £2,500 in a competition that the Daily Echo is running in partnership with Tesco as it opens its new store in Kinson.

Echo readers were asked to nominate who they thought should win the cash and the response was so big – more than 1,600 nominations for 118 organisations – that two extra causes were shortlisted.

As finalists, all are guaranteed a runner-up prize of £500 each, but the one with the most votes will get £2,500 in the Helping Hand competition.

The Echo has been profiling each of the six to help people make their choice ahead of the second round of voting, which kicks off when the store opens on Thursday, January 29.

Dorset Dog Rescue has 28 foster homes in the county and also has a sister rescue in Somerset, said founder Julie Liddle.

She added: “We’re the people’s rescue. We would buy a new van because ours got ruined in floods and is all rusted.”

Julie said that the cash could also be used towards vets’ bills.

“I got a bit humbled because there are large cancer charities out there and hospices,” she added.

“To think that some people are taking us seriously saving these little dogs, it’s quite humbling.

“To be in the final with those types of charities, you think that people do like us.”

A Tesco spokesman said: “We asked people in the area to nominate the one local charity they believed most deserved a financial boost this year and Dorset Dog Rescue was one of the six most popular nominees.

“We are aware there are investigations being carried out into their operations and we await the outcome of Dorset Police’s enquiry. Until that time, Dorset Dog Rescue remains part of our competition, in keeping with the wishes of the people who voted for their cause.”

The shortlisted groups

THE shortlisted organisations are:

  • Homes 4 Heroes, Bournemouth
  • Lewis-Manning Hospice, Poole
  • The Bourne Academy, East Howe
  • Dorset Dog Rescue, Bournemouth
  • Cherry Tree Nursery, Northbourne
  • Home-Start, Kinson  

Round two of the voting process will begin from the day of the Wimborne Road store’s opening on January 29.

When you’ve decided, all you have to do is visit the supermarket and fill out a form, available at the customer service desk, nominating one of the six and put it in a ballot box.

For further information, contact Kinson’s Tesco Community Champion, Sally Teixeira, on tesco.kinson.community@gmail.com