By Oliver Streather-Paul

A charity is calling for help to support disabled dogs overseas.

Somerset and Dorset Animal Rescue is appealing for donations to help another charity far from home in its work.

While it works tirelessly to rescue animals locally, Somerset and Dorset Animal Rescue also supports a dog sanctuary in Sri Lanka.

Twice a year, the rescue centre serves as a base for a shipping container which is filled with supplies and sent to Animal SOS Sri Lanka, which houses around 1,600 dogs and 60 cats – all strays who were admitted injured, abused or dumped and desperately needed caring for.

Around 200 of the dogs are disabled and receive specialist care such as physiotherapy, massage and heat treatment, as well as hydrotherapy in the Indian Ocean.

Wincanton-based Somerset and Dorset Animal Rescue is a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the lives of unwanted animals and is run entirely by non-wage volunteers who juggle full time jobs with the care of more than 60 animals.

Somerset and Dorset Animal Rescue founder Liz Stewart is appealing for people to drop off donations to help keep the sanctuary running.

She said: “The work Animal SOS does is gruelling and heartbreaking, but without them there would be no-one to do it.

“Many dogs and cats are rescues from cruelty cases or accidents such as with tuk tuks, coaches and trains where the animals are left disabled at the side of the road.

“They are nursed back to health and have somewhere safe to live out the rest of their life.”

She added: “We desperately need help to fill the shipping container with supplies of food, bedding, puppy milk, leads, collars, bandages and joint supplements – to name a few.

“Please donate what you can to this amazing cause.”

The items can be bought online via the charity’s Amazon page or purchased from elsewhere and dropped off at Somerset and Dorset Animal Rescue.

Items for the shipping container must be dropped off by Friday, August 16. Visit www.amazon.co.uk/gp/registry/wishlist/JP3HFBZ4FVZH to see the Amazon Wish List.