ABANDONED dogs in the county are one step closer to finding a loving home, thanks to a cash windfall from the Making a Difference campaign.

The Worcestershire Animal Rescue Shelter (WARS) received £250 from the campaign, run by the Evening News and Worcester Round Table.

The shelter - based in Hawthorn Lane, Deblin's Green, near Malvern - will use the money to buy portable, fold-away tables that they can use for their many and varied fund-raising events.

In this way, all the money raised through the events can go towards the abandoned and stray dogs in the shelter's care, instead of some of it having to go towards the rental of tables. At the moment, the shelter is making do with old builders' trestle tables.

"Like most charities, we receive no public funding and rely purely on the generosity of the public," said Janet Arpad, WARS secretary.

"Therefore, support from the Making a Difference campaign is very much appreciated by everyone involved and allows us to use monies raised in providing fundamental care for the animals in the area.

"We were absolutely delighted when we heard we'd been awarded the cash."

Fund-raising events include the Annual Dog Show, where pet owners pay to enter their pooches in the competition, and "adopt-a-dog" days, when dogs are introduced to potential new owners in the hope they will hit it off.

The animal shelter - including 21 dog kennels - was built and opened in 2001. But it had taken the charity 18 years to raise enough money to build the shelter. The shelter is open to the public from Wednesday to Sunday each day from 11am to 3pm, but at the moment, only dogs are cared for.

"We don't have the funds to provide accommodation for other animals," said Mrs Arpad.

All the dogs are spayed or neutered, micro-chipped and vaccinated before being re-homed. Currently there are 19 dogs but Mrs Arpad said the shelter was "fit to burst".

"We're pretty full and we're not even through the Christmas period," she said.

"It gets very busy at Christmas."

For more information about WARS click on: www.wars.org.uk

The WARS annual Christmas Fair is due to take place on Saturday, December 13, in the Ombersley Road Methodist Church Hall, Ombersely Road, Worcester, from 10am to 12pm.