A PAIR of big-hearted Stourbridge businessmen are hoping to build a brighter future for Romanian street dogs.

Paul Morris, who runs mechanical and electrical contractors P&R Morson, and his colleague Stuart Sowden are building new insulated kennels at Sadie's Stray Dog Rescue shelter in Bacau, Romania, after hearing about the non-profit organisation's tireless work to rescue abandoned, abused and injured puppies and dogs found dumped on the streets.

The pair, both big dog lovers, heard about the organisation which was set up by businesswoman Lesley Ford, from Nuneaton, after reading online posts by friend Katie Hughes from Hagley who adopted a rescue puppy called Nelly from the shelter and who flew out to Romania with friend Anna to see for themselves where the pup had come from and struggles she had faced.

While there, the friends posted regular updates of their experiences which caught the attention of Paul and Stuart.

Paul said: “When we saw Katie and Anna’s updates, we knew we wanted to get involved and use our own skills to help improve the shelter. It felt like the least we could do and we were soon hopping on a plane to Bacau ourselves.

“One of the biggest challenges for the shelter is that the weather in Romania is harsh, reaching -25 in winter, and the kennels are all outside. For the younger puppies and older, more vulnerable dogs this means many won’t survive.

"We couldn’t sit back and do nothing."

Stuart said: “Myself and Paul felt we could make a difference, so we started looking at ways to improve the electricity and water at the shelters, to help keep them warmer, and also to reconstruct the kennels with more sturdy, resilient materials so they are better protected from the elements.

“When you see the conditions these puppies are rescued from, it was important that we were able to make them as comfortable as possible once they reached the shelter, to give them the best opportunity of getting the second chance they so deserve.”

The pair have since ordered the materials and Stuart will be heading out this Sunday with a team to get work underway, with Paul set to join them next week.

Meanwhile Paul's wife Claudia has been co-ordinating a fundraising appeal to raise cash for the new kennels - and Paul added: "It's been great to see people getting involved and it's felt like a real community effort."

To find out more about the rescue shelter go to www.sadiesstraydogrescue.com or join the Sadie’s Stray Dog Rescue group on Facebook for updates on rescue stories and adoptions.