News & Events

NAYBR are proud to have been profiled by Wunderdog Magazine

Written by Susie Kearley on February 12, 2020, the article begins...

In our ongoing series of Wunderwednesday profiles of dog-rescue charities, Susie Kearley profiles the boxer rescue charity in the North of England (but fear not, they are happy to rehome their dogs nationwide)

Matthew McDonnell is the Chair of Notts and Yorkshire Boxer Rescue, a charity founded in 2010 to find new homes for boxers who’ve been given up by their owners. “We rehome countrywide,” he says, so you don’t have to be local to adopt a boxer from the charity.

“The founders started the rescue because they loved boxers,” he explains. “They were passionate about the breed and wanted to do things differently to other rescues. Bringing their own values and ethics into a new rescue, they wanted to lead by example, so they set up the organisation, then applied to become a registered charity with transparency and ethics at the core of all their work. They hoped to inspire others to follow.”

For the full article see Wunderdog Magazine article

Our annual Funday on Sunday 14th July was a great success and the feedback we have received has been very positive and appreciated. The weather remained pretty much perfect, not too hot for the dogs but dry and sunny. The day started with a bleary-eyed team arriving at the Acacia centre at 7:00am sharp, not easy on a Sunday when some alarm clocks went off at 4:30 but we knew that it would be worth it. The wonderful Acacia team were already there and soon there was a nice smell of bacon in the air to get us all kick started. The quiet, peaceful morning was soon a hive of activity and the stall holders started arriving and it all took shape very quickly; a fantastic planning and organising team worked with military precision and we were ready.

11:00 soon came around and the public started to arrive, it was so good to see them come along and many with their dogs. Some faces were new, but it is so heart-warming to see Adopters and Fosterers of the Rescue come along to be part of this special day. Everybody was made very welcome and the stalls soon became busy and the Golden Ticket Programs started to sell. It’s not every half-hourly prize draw that puts the winning tickets back in the draw to give people a chance to keep winning all day, but we do. The Program included dedications from kind families that sponsored our Fun Dog Show categories, some were in memory of dogs that are now at Rainbow Bridge but never forgotten. We always include a mention to our Funday sponsors, without their support we would really struggle so thank you so much guys; we really do appreciate it.

People were buying cakes and crafts, children were laughing and having fun in the kid’s zone; the atmosphere was a happy one, so we were really pleased with how things were going.

Registration for the Fun Dog Show was well underway, and we had Fabulous Fellas and Loveliest Ladies, so the judging was going to be very difficult. The first category was judged at 12:30 by a fantastic team from C4 Paws, these girls are so supportive and they saw all sorts of shapes and sizes and got covered in loads of dog hairs and slobber..!

Just after lunch we were in the ring with a particular favourite section of ours, ‘Meet the Heros’. In Rescue, everything is about the dogs, so we always feel it is important to tell their stories and let them say hello. The other Heros are our Fosteres and Adopters, without them there would simply be more homeless dogs so we admire these people greatly. It’s always emotional this section as we narrate sad stories but all with a happy ending. Seeing these dogs in their new Fur-Ever homes is exactly why the team do what they do, it really is so rewarding.

People have dried their eyes now and we are treated to a display from one of our Coordinators that has a particular knowledge and passion for deaf dogs. It’s a great way of showing the bond we have with dogs and the results you can get with patience and trust, despite possible obstacles.

We are back to the Fun Dog Show now and the Best and Reserve Best in Show is fast approaching, the decisions were getting even harder. Eventually (and I mean eventually), our judges awarded a fantastic little chap called Bugsy the Best in Show, closely followed but a wonderful pair called Lenny and Terry in Reserve; the rosettes and trophies were well deserved.

It’s getting towards the end of the day now so people were clutching their raffle tickets ready for the cash prize draw; good luck everyone..! The prizes have all been claimed, but the winning ticket numbers are on our website if you are curious.

We can never end any event without saying some thank you’s and Funday would be no different. To the whole team at C4 Paws for taking the best care of our dogs in kennels and also being such a great help on the day. To the fantastic team at the Acacia Centre for being great hosts, it is always a pleasure to be there. To our kind sponsors who make such a difference and help change the lives of dogs in need. But most of all the team at NAYBR would like to say a massive thank you to the public and their dogs for coming along and sharing our day with us; you guys are fantastic and helped us raise……£3,305.46…!

The team leave the now quiet Acacia Centre tired but happy. They won’t know what the next phone call brings but they will be ready.

Hi Friends,

My amazing pal Andy Gibson is cycling 100 miles on August 4th to raise funds for my foster pals in Rescue.

The gang here believe every dog deserves a safe and happy home regardless of age or health and Andy’s incredible gesture will hopefully raise loads of funds for my more senior pals.

Us Boxers are all young at heart though and as we get older we have just collected more love to share around. For more information regarding our Fostering program, please check out our fostering page.

If you can sponsor my pal Andy then that would be amazing and every penny will go to vital food and medical care that my doggie pals so deserve.

I want to sponsor Andy

Go Uncle Andy..!

Love as always dear friends,

Bryan..xx

An article written by Mark Foster for the Irish Newborn Screening newsletter

It’s a bit of a busman’s holiday but these pups are our world

I am an Audiologist and work with children diagnosing and treating deafness, I work in Ireland as an Audiologist (and have done for 29 years now). So audiology and supporting the parents and their children is in my blood. But I also have a deep love for Boxer dogs and in my spare time volunteer for Notts and Yorkshire Boxer rescue over here in England.

I have 3 boxer dogs, Mollie, Kendal and Ollie (all rescues) so let me tell you a bit about them and how special they are.

Collectively known by all my friends as “the Three Amigo’s”, they all get on really well these days. However Mollie and Ollie are both profoundly deaf. Kendal is the ears of the gang and very much leader of his pack.

It works really well having a hearing dog, as they will follow his lead. All three are able to be off lead (in safe spaces of course) and Mollie and Ollie will always check back visually or follow their leader Kendal, if we call him in

How can you tell if your dog is deaf?

Obviously you may suspect that they are deaf but the only conclusive proof is by taking your dog to a specialist…….and you’ve guessed it they will perform an Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) test, just the same as we do to diagnose our deaf children!

How do you train the deaf ones?

Easy...we use sign language.

They are both very clever and rely on eye contact to communicate. With lots of positive reinforcement they now know 10-20 different signs. We don’t use normal sign language, but have our own signs. The key is to be consistent. They also rely on Kendal to tell them things, such as the doorbell, people arriving or that treats may be happening

In fact I’d say that Mollie and Ollie have been easier to train than Kendal!

It’s hard work but it’s a real privilege to have these pups in our lives

So there you have it

Mark, Gaby and the pups

Stacey joins the ranks of Bryan's Heros

My wonderful pal Stacey Waring is throwing herself out of a perfectly good aeroplane in order to raise funds for my 4 legged brothers and sisters at NAYBR. How amazing is she..!

It’s so easy to click on Stacy's JustGiving page and sponsor her parachute jump:

Don’t forget to blow a big kiss to our angels at Rainbow Bridge whilst you’re up there Stacey…xx

I will be riding the Notts 100 mile bike ride on 24th June for Notts and Yorkshire Boxer Rescue. Cycling this distance will not be an easy challenge and I am currently in training to achieve this goal.

This is a charity that's very close to my heart as I have seen first-hand the work that they do through owning my own boxer dog, Millie, who we unfortunately lost in December. Since then, on the 21st March, we fostered Rocky. The charity have worked with us to ensure Rocky is settled and doing well. We are planning on adopting him very soon and if it was not for the charity, we would have never had the chance to fall in love with such a comical boy. I would appreciate it if you could help me in my journey and support me as i take part in this adventure

The charity is made up of dedicated volunteers who have a passion for the breed. They work on rescuing and re-homing boxer dogs all over the UK and have re-homed over 60 dogs in the last year.

No donation is too small and even £1 can make a huge difference.

Just click the link to go to my fund raising page

Thank you! Michael

She has previously abseiled and wing-walked but this time she is keeping her feet on terra firma; more terror than firma..!

Don’t get cold feet Chris..xx

Just click ion the link to go to Chris's fundraising page

For many years NAYBR has relied on borrowing whatever PA equipment it could at the many events and shows we attend.

At a good number of these events it would have been almost impossible without some form of broadcast equipment to make announcements or play music. At the Aztec shows, where we manage the fun dog shows, we relied on the event organisers loaning PA equipment. For the annual fun day Andy Sumner very generously allowed us to borrow his PA equipment.

Sometimes though, even with all of this generosity, it was a struggle. Something which Heather Brennan noticed at one particular event last year. For those of you who haven't heard, Heather is a musician and performer, so knows a thing or two about speakers and amplifiers.

This year all of our previous problems have been solved, thanks to a very generous donation from Heather. At the Santa Paws event in December Heather presented NAYBR with its very own fully portable PA equipment comprising 2 self-contained wireless powered speakers with cordless microphones and professional stands.

A huge thank-you has to go out to Heather. We always try to give a professional image at the shows and events we attend, however this new PA equipment is going to give our events and shows an even greater professionalism.

Thanks Heather..!

We are massively proud and huge (and well deserved) congratulations must go to C FOUR PAWS luxury dog boarding kennels for being the first UK boarding kennels to achieve the independent SAI Global Gold certification.

Think of this as us staying in a 5 star hotel, for our dogs it means they are being looked after in the leading premier boarding kennel in the country.

We really do believe the dogs that come into the care of NAYBR should receive the very best accommodation and support and that is why we entrust them to the wonderful people of C FOUR PAWS whilst they are with us.

It is vital that any dog that comes to us goes into a calm and understanding environment, with dedicated people that genuinely care and understand their needs.

For more information, go to the C FOUR PAWS website

...as told by Mark Fenton

“Help needed” is the cry. ”Help needed” so the start of another rescue show year was fast approaching.

Scanned the diary, yep I was around...mmm needed Friday/Saturday and Sunday...well the weekend is fine...and I can probably get annual leave (or work the extra hours to make up the time)…..and Gabby is here and I really want to help…..all went through my mind.

Great, I’ll shout out to see if I can help, thinking maybe it would already be covered (pigs might fly), but then it hit me... so I made the offer

Show weekend

Friday 4pm The lovely Jules and Andy offered to drive me down with them and the very handsome Barclay. At least I knew 2 people and a dog! Who else was going?

Jules gave me a run down: 10 bodies for 2 days (one of those a show virgin) and all the dog shows to run and judge, the rescue stall to run and also the amazing new “Dog Obstacle Tombola”. Forgot to mention that setting up all the stalls and obstacle course and laying out all the stock is also the responsibility of the same people.

7:00 PMarrive Newbury...dump stuff and head to pub for dinner, beer and a chat with my travel companions.

Oh my god, it’s 1 AM.....SLEEP

Saturday 8 AM And we are off (Oh god what had I done) During the previous evenings conviviality I had been told that, not only was I helping with the dog show, but I was JUDGING too.

9:00 AM The public start arriving...loadsa pups and their humans and it seems like they’ve all made a beeline to the dog show registration where my team mates were showing me the ropes.

12:30 First of the dog shows...such fun, walking around, fussing pups, talking to their owners and children.

15:45 Last show of the day...the end is in sight, pups have won, lots of chatting, rosettes have been given and now it’s time to start winding down.

17:00 Back to the Travelodge, shower, power nap relax….. for some a few beers and a laugh over dinner.

Day 2 is a repeat except the stall has to be broken down, vans loaded and a drive home.

My thoughts... It would be so much easier if the day could be split up into teams/sessions, but that needs US, the supporters of the rescue and our fabulous Boxer pups, to step up to the plate and offer our time and bodies.

WOULD I DO IT ALL AGAIN.....hell yes! I was made to feel so welcome, I left Newbury feeling part of a fabulous team, had a fabulous time with all the pups and laughed a lot.

Mark’s full storey and more photos will soon be available in this year’s newsletter; fancy joining us..?

Michael Luck will be riding the Notts 100 mile bike ride on 24th June

Michael's fund raising page

Chris Cobb will be attempting a sponsored fire walk on 16th November

Chris's fund raising page

Please click on the links and see just how amazing these people are and if you can, please donate and help to change the lives of dogs forever.

You could always go and cheer them on as well; they’ll need it looking at what’s ahead of them..!

Thank you

Bryan