DOZENS of local volunteers turned out on Sunday to help an animal charity plant around 1300 tress at its Earlston base.

The project will improve the facilities for the dogs at Borders Pet Rescue and also create a space for the local community to use.

The charity organised its Plant A Tree Day to enhance a 10-acre fenced area used for exercising and training dogs.

And supporters turned out in their droves, from toddlers to a few pensioners in their 80s.

Laura Aitken from Borders Pet Rescue told us: “We take in unwanted, abandoned and lost animals including cats, dogs and all kinds of small furry things.

"Where necessary, we provide veterinary care and behavioural training to give our animals the best chance of finding a new home. And, through our re-homing process, we strive to ensure that each new home best suits the needs of each individual animal.

“The trees that were donated and planted will form a vital element in the development of a fantastic resource for the charity and the local community and will add significantly to the biodiversity of this former grazing land.

"Everyone has been very generous including supplying temporary toilets for the event.”

One of the companies that responded to the charity’s recent cry for help was Tilhill Forestry.

Borders Pet Rescue needed trees and tree shelters to allow the planting of some small woodland areas in the fields to make them more interesting for the dogs.

Tilhill Forestry District Manager Eddie Addis agreed to supply the tree shelters and asked parent company BSW to supply the tree stakes.

Alba Trees, which regularly supplies Tilhill Forestry, offered to provide the trees.

Mr Addis said: “We were contacted by local resident David Kennedy, who works as a woodland officer for the Forestry Commission and asked if we could help.

"We got in touch with our parent company, BSW and Alba Trees and, with their help, we were able to supply everything that was needed.

"Borders Pet Rescue does some amazing work and we were delighted to be helping out in this way.”

On the day volunteers were given their own patch to plant and boards will be put up to acknowledge the contribution of the companies and groups involved.

Borders Pet Rescue re-homes in excess of 200 animals each year.