A man has revealed plans to open a secure dog field on land off Skipton Road near Hampsthwaite in spring this year.
The Rescue Fields is a community interest company, which means profits will be given as donations to rescue centres across North Yorkshire.
The five-and-a-half-acre plot will have three fields. Two rescue fields at the front of the site will be open to the public at a charge of £12.50 an hour at weekends and £5 on weekdays.
The third will be a foster field, a place for foster dogs and rescue organisations to bring their dogs free of charge.
The proposed plan for The Rescue Fields
Fraser Macleod, founder of The Rescue Fields, said:
“I’m doing it for my love of dogs really, I adopted a dog that saved my life so I’m trying to pay it back in anyway I can and help dogs in need whenever I can.”
Mr Macleod has six rescue dogs, affectionately known as the barkland pack. He aims to achieve £40,000 in profit in the first year to give to rescue centres. The money will help the centres buy food, toys, bedding and equipment.
He said that often foster dogs arrive with “just a collar if they’re lucky”, putting the cost on foster owners who are just trying to help support the dogs.
To raise funds for the site Mr Macleod and one of his dogs, Peaches, are taking on the three peaks challenge and running a campaign to donate £3 to “buy a dog a puppuccino”
He said
“People spend £3 on a coffee from Café Nero, Costa or Starbucks but I’m asking people to donate £3, the same amount you’d spend on a coffee to help the dogs.”
While raising funds to secure the site, Mr Macleod has been in talks about planning permission. He shared:
“I’ve had very positive talks with the planning authority and whilst they can’t give me a cast iron guarantee, there is a precedent set as there is a small dog field on the opposite side of the road a little further down, which has no objection to us opening.
“I plan to enclose the site with hedging and a native tree-line with a partial grant from the Woodland Trust to reduce road noise and create a nice visual from the roadside as well as protect the privacy of the neighbouring property.
“This would also be part of the agreement of sale so should this site for any reason not be granted planning we would continue the search for another site – but given the access and the fact this side of Harrogate is not well served for secure areas, as well as the growing population with the copious new builds nearby I’m confident we can win through.
“I have contractors ready to start installing the recommended 6ft fencing and website with online booking and calendar ready to go, subject to how quickly the council approve the plan we could be open within a month once funding has been secured.”
To learn more about The Rescue Fields click here and to donate click here.
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