Welcome to NESSR, we hope you enjoy our website.

The NESSR family is a growing group of unpaid volunteers from all walks of life and all around the country who share a love of dogs – spaniels in particular but not exclusively. Each member, in their own way, helps Cynthia help spaniels up and down the country.

Amongst the many ways to help are home checking, transport runs, maintaining the website and forum, manning a stall at a local event, fostering, assessing, supporting families through those all important first few days with their new family member, collecting used stamps, sending a bag of dog food, a treat, a toy or a lead or, of course, the all important donation of funds to help NESSR continue its work!

In the beginning

It all started about 35 years ago when Cynthia, who always had a love of animals, used to manage Sanderson’s Wines in Morpeth. Soon after losing her own springer spaniel she spotted an advert in the classifieds for pure-bred puppies and assumed the dogs would be happy, healthy examples of the breed - as anyone, who is on the look out for a pet, would.

On arriving to see the puppies, Cynthia was horrified to find the whole litter and mum was in a horrible condition. The man asked her to take the mum as well as a “favour”, which she did. Mum was sadly full of fleas and worms and only knew the comfort of a loving home for nine short months before passing to The Bridge.

"The Dog Lady"

This incident led to Cynthia’s initial reputation as “The Dog Lady” and once people knew she had dogs they began to leave all manner of animals with her for her special care!

Gradually, Cynthia swapped her 9 to 5 manager’s job for her vocation as carer to the animals that found their way to her door until eventually she gave up her job altogether and dedicated herself to the animals full time.

… And so the Northern English Springer Spaniel Rescue was born!

And Now

Cynthia is supported whole heartedly in her work by her husband Graham, who since retiring from the Police Force has become very heavily involved, particularly driving to virtually any destination in the country in a bid to rescue a dog. We work in England, Scotland, Wales and even occasionally help dogs from Ireland.

Today NESSR goes from strength to strength, with its family of volunteers across the country always ready to help: And it’s just as well, as, sadly, the number of dogs in need is increasing year on year.

As well as the many dogs that come in and go out for re-homing, Cynthia and Graham take in the “lost causes”, dogs who are unable to be re-homed for whatever reason - and there are many; behaviour issues, ill health, age – and welcome them into The Team and a permanent and wonderful life for the rest of their days. Currently The Team is 23 strong!

How NESSR is Funded

NESSR has always been a charitable organisation that funds all its work for the rescues through donations, fundraising and the generosity of its volunteers and supporters, be they “cyber supporters” through the forum or people who have been lucky enough to find their perfect companion through NESSR’s work.