A DOG rescue centre near Cumnock is "desperate" for volunteers to help out as its kennels reach full capacity.
Lorraine Jardine, who runs Islay Dog Rescue, said that the centre is currently at full capacity and there is an urgent need for more volunteers to lend a hand.
And the charity needs more than people to walk the dogs in the centre's care, with Lorraine keen to hear from anyone willing to give their time with anything from kennel and garden maintenance to helping out with feeding.
Lorraine said: "We're absolutely desperate for volunteers.
"We've done loads of work here. We've renewed the lane and the garden area and we've got a lovely kitchen and our volunteers are very welcome.
"It's not just walking dogs; we've got gardening and maintenance things that need doing as well."
The centre is still seeing a steady stream of people looking to rehome dogs, with a number of owners bringing pets to the centre after finding a home during Covid.
Lorraine adds that there are very few days when her phone isn't buzzing with people looking to place their pet in the centre's care in the hope Lorraine and her team might be able to find a new forever home for them.
She added: "We recently rehomed two dogs that had been here for two-and-a-half years, so there are good news stories.
"We're still getting a lot of people phoning up and saying they can't look after their dogs that they got during Covid because they might have got a new job or some other reason.
"I get about six calls a day from people looking to get rid of their dogs and it's all sorts of dogs, so we really do need help with the dogs and all other kinds of tasks here."
Islay Dog Rescue has been affected by the new restrictions on the ownership of XL Bully dogs in Scotland.
As of February 23, it is an offence to breed, sell, exchange, gift, advertise, abandon or allow an XL bully to stray.
They must also be muzzled and on a lead in public places, including in a car.
READ MORE: XL bully dog looking for adoption from Ayrshire's Islay Dog Rescue
"It's been a worry since the ban came in," Lorraine added.
"We had two XL Bullys dumped on us the Saturday before the ban came into effect in England.
"I'm sure they were breeding dogs and they were nice dogs, but they had to go to the stray kennels because I'm not licensed by the council to take in strays.
"I believe the female was rehomed, but I'm not sure about the male. I don't know if it wold have been a positive outcome or not.
"Rescue centres are unable to rehome these dogs, so you're really left with no choice but to put them to sleep."
To help with various volunteer roles at the centre, you can contact Lorraine on 07876 561545.
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