Meet the LiN Team

Meet the Team

As a rescue, we simply could not survive without our incredible volunteers. They are the heart of everything we do, enabling us to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome so many Labradors in need.

Across every area of the rescue, a dedicated team of Trustees and volunteers work together to coordinate our efforts. Below, we introduce the Trustees, coordinators, and volunteers who make up each vital part of our rescue.

Fundraising

Sue Pickering is the Trustee responsible for the day-to-day running of our fundraising activities. Supported by Chris Aldridge and Lauren Taylor, the fundraising team organises our weekly Bonus Ball, raffles, and auctions, as well as coordinating and promoting fundraising events throughout the year. Their hard work helps ensure we can continue our life-saving work.

Rehoming

Trustee Kate Harris leads our Rehoming team, working closely with fellow Trustees and volunteers to ensure that every dog entering rescue is supported through a smooth and compassionate rehoming process.

Kate is supported by our dedicated “Dog Squad”:

Anne Warnock
Jo Derham
Lynne Sample
Mags Fenton
Sara Irving

Short Term Foster (STF) & Adopted Dog Support

This area is overseen by Sally Winter, who coordinates both our short-term foster placements and the ongoing support provided to families who have recently adopted one of our dogs.

This vital role complements the work of the rehoming team, ensuring that every fosterer and adopter has a dedicated volunteer as their main point of contact and receives the support they need.

The Support Team:

Sally Winter
Ellen Piper
Kerry Gibs
Kitty Day
Mandy Roberts
Narelle Price
Nikki Lee

Long Term Foster

Trustees Sue Pickering and Pam Shepherdson work together to support families who selflessly open their homes to our long-term foster dogs. Many of these dogs are in their twilight years or have ongoing medical needs, and we strive to support their foster families in every way possible.

Sue and Pam also promote our long-term foster dogs and seek new sponsors to help with our ever-increasing veterinary costs. Regular newsletters are sent to sponsors to keep them updated on their chosen dog.

Home Checks

Pam Shepherdson oversees our Home Checks, ensuring that applications are allocated to the appropriate regional coordinators. Each area coordinator uploads home checks to their regional database, where they are picked up by a local volunteer.

Our current Area Coordinators are:

Scotland: Anne Warnock
North East: Pam Shepherdson
North West / North Wales: Ann Hedley
Yorkshire: Sasha Heseltine
East Midlands / Lincolnshire / East Anglia: Fee Lightfoot
West Midlands: Christine Aldridge
South East: Catherine Lewis
South West: Jo Derham
South Wales: Denise Hall & Mandi Rugen-Hankey

Finance & Admin

Michelle Williams is our Trustee and Treasurer, responsible for finance and administration. This includes paying veterinary bills, managing expenses, balancing the books, and handling the essential behind-the-scenes admin that keeps the rescue running smoothly.

Our Volunteers

As mentioned at the start, our core team is supported by a small army of volunteers across mainland UK, and we are incredibly grateful to every single one of them.

We are always in need of more helping hands. If you would like to join our merry band and make a real difference, please complete a volunteer application form via the dropdown menu on our website.

Meet the team-

Trustees: Sue Pickering, Sam Bernard, Michelle Williams, Kate Harris, Pam Shepherdson

Fundraising - Chris Aldridge, Lauren Taylor

Rehoming - Anne Warnock, Jo Derham, Lynne Sample, Mags Fenton, Sara Irving

Short-Term Foster Support Team - Sally Winter, Ellen Piper, Kerry Gibs, Kitty Day, Mandy Roberts, Narelle Price, Nikki Lee

Area Coordinators - Anne Warnock, Pam Shepherdson, Ann Hedley, Sasha Heseltine, Fee Lightfoot, Chris Aldridge, Catherine Lewis, Jo Derham, Denise Hall, Mandi Rugen-Hankey

Rehoming Tails from Team LiN

Adopted Aura 1yr Old

By Labradors in need • October 15, 2019

Aura is a baby at 1 year old but she is nothing like the usual hoolilabs we are asked to help. She's calm. She doesn't jump up. She isn't boisterous (yes, really). She takes treats gently. She has fab whistle recall. She's respectful of other dogs and enjoys their company. She's gentle with little dogs. She isn't giddy around other dogs when passing them or off lead on a walk. Can you see now why her aura is grey? This lovely, sweet and kind girl is due her booster and hasn't been spayed. We will cover the cost of both. Although she doesn't live with another dog, during assessment she really enjoyed the assessor's dog being there. On a walk together she played with him in the river and played ball. She wasn't possessive of the ball and respected that it wasn't her ball. At home, she did have a grumble when the assessor's dog sniffed at her food bowl but apart from that, she was happy playing with her new friend and sharing her toys. Aura has never lived with cats or kids. Our volunteer took her daughters along to assess how she was around the youngest, who is 11. Aura was happy to take treats from her and to be stroked but was head shy when she tried to touch the top of her head. She was the same with the volunteer herself. She will occasionally chew shoes if you are lazy enough to leave them laying around. She doesn't bark excessively but will when the door goes or she sees someone pass the house. Currently, Aura is walked four long walks a day. As she is a lab cross collie, she needs good exercise but also mental stimulation. She's intelligent and would enjoy the company and stimulation of another energetic dog who can help her socialise with people. We think older children would also be a good source of mental stimulation, particularly one who wants a dog they can take some responsibility for. She would be a loyal and loving best friend for an older child/ teenager, who can help to gently build her confidence. Aura is in South Wales, any offers of transport appreciated. Her minimum adoption fee is £200.

Adopted Webster 2yr old

By Labradors in need • October 15, 2019

This young boy is two year old Webster, a show type lab who is the stereotypical food motivated lovable choccy we expect. He is neutered and up to date with everything. Webster lives with 10 and 11 year old kids and a cat. Indoor, he lives amicably with the cat. Outdoors, he chases him. He was seen around the kids and he was calm with them, but he does jump up in excitement so unless you have dog savvy kids, he's not for you. During assessment he was taken on a walk. He does pull to start with but settles quickly. When he saw another dog he did pull to go and say hello but was distracted by a treat that he sat for. He will do all the basic commands when food is on offer! Webster's recall is one way. As in, he goes but doesn't come back. More so when a dog wants to play. So this will need work. Webster is crate trained and sleeps in it at night and for longer periods when left. There was an incident when the cat chewed the lino and blamed Webster, so other than when popping to the local shop Webster is crated. He settles when left and has no anxiety, according to his owner. A lovable, friendly and affectionate boy, Webster is a little excitable and will jump up when meeting new faces but doesn't do the wall of death speed zoomies like the hoolilabs have been known to do 😂 He will train well for the right treats and distractions, once you know what they are. He's currently in the Hull area, his minimum adoption donation is £250 and needs to be moved ASAP.

Adopted Chaz 3yr Old Lab/Cocker

By Labradors in need • October 10, 2019

This dizzy, whizzy labracock is 3 year old Chaz. He's a gorgeous strawberry blonde lab x cocker and is just a bundle of fun and energy! He's up to date with everything and has been neutered, he walks beautifully on a collar and lead and is good with other dogs, as long as they don't mind his Tigger on speed impressions. Chaz lives with kids between 9 & 18 without any problems and currently shares the house with three other dogs and is around 8 working dogs owned by the family. He was originally bought by the lady's mother but she can no longer keep him. He hasn't had any training so needs back to basics with everything. There's a cat within the home, which he does chase from time to time. This boy needs a family that can channel his energy into training, mental stimulation and exercise. He's probably better around older kids, unless you have younger kids that are used to being floored (or ones you want to be 😂). He is super friendly but lacks the stimulation needed. Being part cocker, he would do well with scent work training, rally-o or agility. He is not the type of dog that would be happy with a half hour walk morning and evening and left to snooze in between. BUT with a change of diet (he's currently on a working dog food), regular exercise and lots of mental stimulation (obedience training, recall training, scent work etc), he will be a fantastic little lad. He's in Staffordshire, his minimum adoption donation is £200 and he's just a bundle of fun!

Adopted Brandy 6yrs Old

By Labradors in need • October 6, 2019

Had a long week? What about a Brandy to start your weekend? This Brandy is a 6 year old vintage but not full bodied. She's a slim girl who is friendly and welcoming. She greeted our assessor with a wagging tail and lots of kisses! Although she did jump up, it wasn't boisterous and once she said hello she settled without trouble. Brandy needs spaying, which LiN will cover the cost of, and is up to date with everything else. She does have an irritable bowel but this is carefully managed by a probiotic diet and a probiotic tablet a day. She needs to be kept to the same brand and flavour or she gets a bad tummy. When taken for a walk, our assessor was the one being walked 🤣 Brandy is a puller and was walked on a harness but she walks better on a Halti but isn’t keen on it.Despite this, when she came across a small dog and a small kid during assessment Brandy was nothing but friendly and well behaved. Brandy hasn't lived with cats and does jump up at the fence at them but doesn't bark. She seems to be more curious than anything. She has, however, lived with kids but her owner has asked that we place her in a home with older or teenage kids (or none at all) so she gets the attention she craves. Brandy doesn't sleep in an oak cask but she is happy to go in her crate when left or at night. She will chew if bored.She lives with another lab and has sound basic obedience. Currently in North Yorkshire, this lovely girl's minimum adoption donation is £200.

Adopted Duffy & Marley

By Labradors in need • October 1, 2019

A beautiful pair of labs, Duffy & Marley are 7 & 4 and are friendly girls. Duffy is the eldest. She has been with the family for just over a year and is very much attached to her female owner, who she stares lovingly at and is content to do so over and above anything else. She isn't interested in balls or toys and takes little notice of other dogs. Even her sister she can take or leave. She will need spaying and vaccinating, which LiN will cover the cost of, and she's a healthy and fit smaller lab. She is well trained, walks nicely on collar and lead and has superb recall. She never strays far from her human and is very calm around the house. Out and about, Duffy can be a bit jumpy and nervous. She won't walk over high bridges but is ok if you carry her (she's small enough, luckily). Marley is the yellow lab, who is also a friendly girl but out of the house she loves anyone and everyone, dogs and people. Her recall is selective and she is used to a halti headcollar as she can pull at times. Marley is a bit like a furby, she responds to excitement with excitement! So if she's around kids who flap about and use squeaky voices, she will become giddy. The kids she lives with have been well trained so she approaches them with the same calmness. Marley is in good health but does have a piddly problem. When meeting new people, she widdles. The vets have said it's a stress response and it is managed by encouraging visitors to approach straight on, quick tickle under the chin and straight out to the garden. A solid floor is preferable to a shag pile carpet, for obvious reasons! Also, Marley is a vacuum cleaner killer and will attack it on sight, regardless of whether it's on or not. Perfect excuse to hoover less, maybe? 😂 Both girls chase cats but are good around kids aged 4-14. They are being rehomed as the youngest child has developed progressively worsening allergies and the dogs can no longer go where they please in the house because of it. They share a 'den' under the stairs where they happily sleep and can be left alone without any stress or anxiety. Marley is more playful than Duffy and loves to swim, play ball and play tug. She looks to Duffy for confidence and needs her for reassurance, even if Duffy doesn't need Marley's approval! Currently near Matlock, Derbys, the minimum adoption donation for them is £350

"Adopted" Charlie 10mths Old

By Labradors in need • June 28, 2019

Form an orderly queue!! This young man is Charlie, he's 10 months old and has been in foster so we can get a better idea of his needs and character. You won't be disappointed! Charlie is a lover. He loves people and dogs and gets excited around other dogs, resulting in the odd hump. He has met children while out on walks and has been friendly towards them, although he isn't around kids in his foster home. We were told by his previous owner that there were frequent visiting children, so homes with older kids would be fine. He loves swimming and playing ball. As most pups are, Charlie is inquisitive and impulsive. He recalls well unless he sees another dog and then he's gone! His lead walking is awful, he veers from side to side and pulls like a train. Unfortunately, due to family ill health his training and walks were cut very short, hence why he has had little input. His foster dad has been working on his lead training by the stop-start method, which he is slowly responding to. Charlie is a slow eater and needs encouragement to eat (I know! Shocker!). He's currently on wainwright's large puppy as his original owner found he was sensitive to other food. He needs neutering, which we will cover the cost of. In the words of Charlie's foster, he is a 'lovely, friendly, playful, bouncy puppy with a great temperament'. He's in Leeds and his minimum adoption donation is £250