A STOURPORT recruitment firm has joined a fundraising campaign to help three dogs in need after reading about their plight in The Shuttle.

Consilium Recruit will take part in a number of activities to raise cash in support of Forest Dog Rescue’s bid to fund life-changing surgery for the canines.

Ari, a five-year-old crossbreed, needs one or possibly two cruciate ligament operations to help him walk comfortably while three-year-old crossbreed Patch needs surgery to repair a dislocated knee cap and bowed femur.

And lurcher Pete, aged three, needs to be referred to a specialist for an MRI scan to ascertain the route of his lameness.

Earlier this month, The Shuttle reported on Forest Dog Rescue’s campaign to raise thousands of pounds and this prompted Consilium to spring into action and set a £700 target.

Staff have been taking part in weekly cake bake off competitions and have already raised £310 towards their target.

They are also planning on holding a Christmas Jumper Day in December to boost their efforts.

In addition to this, Consilium are taking in public donations of blankets, dog food, beds and toys and are asking people to drop them off at their offices in Anglo House off The Gilgal.

Sally Skidmore, from Consilium, said: “As a local company, and band of animal lovers, we were really touched by the story we read about these three poor dogs that needed surgery so we decided to do something to help.

“Forest Dog Rescue do such a great job and really care about the dogs they take in and that culture is something that resonated with the way we care about our own staff and clients.

“We have set ourselves a target of £700 which we hope to exceed but I think after weeks of eating yummy cakes we may need to take up dog walking to burn off all the calories.”

Forest Dog Rescue trustee Alison Jones said: “We are so grateful to The Shuttle for helping to raise awareness of our campaign and of course to the team at Consilium Recruit, without whom we would not be able to raise the funds we need to help Ari, Patch and Pete.

“We are 100 per cent reliant on donations and we really do appreciate any support we receive from local people.

“These dogs deserve a second chance and we will do whatever it takes to give them that chance.”

People can donate to Consilium’s efforts by visiting www.justgiving.com/fundraising/consiliumlovesdogs or just drop in to their offices.