Our History

Mrs Dolly Bromley founded the Society after finding a small dog tied up and abandoned in Amersham. When she was unable to locate its owner, she took it to the local police station where she was horrified to learn that if the dog was not claimed, it would be put down at the end of the week. Dolly refused to accept that possibility and, being unable to keep a dog herself, she telephoned friends and acquaintances and found it a new and loving home. Those who became involved with this one little dog soon became aware of the need to help other dogs in distress.

This was the start of the Society which, until 1985, was known as the Amersham and Chesham and District Dog Rescue and Welfare Society. Soon, all lost and unwanted dogs in the area were being referred for help and rehoming. It was not long before the Society began taking dogs directly from owners who could no longer provide care for them. Whatever the reason, dogs in need are cared for by the Society until the right new home can be found for them. Our priority is the dogs and we will always put the dogs first.

In the beginning, the Society used various boarding kennels in the Chilterns area. Eventually an arrangement was made with a single boarding kennel in Flaunden where the Society could keep all its dogs in one place. This was not a perfect solution, but a step in the right direction. We were then based in Ashley Green, near Chesham, Bucks, another step forward but we always hoped we would find the right place for a permanent Rescue and Rehoming Centre

In 2009, after years of hard work by many many supporters the Society finally achieved its dream of buying its own premises in Chivery, near Tring, Herts. In July 2013 planning permission was obtained to build a new Rescue Centre to create a Centre of Excellence for rescue and rehoming. Construction work started in October 2014 and we moved into our purpose built Rescue Centre in May 2017. This allowed us to develop all aspects of our rescue work as well as provide 5 star boarding facilities.

Chilterns Dog Rescue has a long history of rescue and rehoming and continues to grow thanks to the dedication and support of many members, volunteers and dog lovers.

The challenges we now face are greater than ever with unprecedented numbers of dogs seeking space in rescue due to the fallout of the pandemic, the financial crisis and the uncertainty of everyday life in general.