A pair of animal lovers are rescuing Sussex’s stray and unwanted dogs.

Sue Phillips and Niall Hastings have been nominated for an Argus Local Hero award for the “selfless” work of the duo whose “hearts are endless”.

Waifs and Strays was set up in East Sussex at the beginning of this year, an amalgamation of the animallovers’ work.

Sue, who lives in Seaford, has run her own rescue centre for four years after working for various trusts and charities for the previous 15 years.

She said: “There were so many dogs in this area that needed help.

“They were being picked up by the local authority and if the owner wasn’t coming forward quite often they were being put to sleep.”

She takes dogs from local authorities and rehomes them all over the country.

Sue, who has six of her own dogs, has helped hundreds of dogs in the last four years. She said: “We have had a recent influx of calls from people are having to move out of their homes and downsize because of the bedroom tax. But their new homes won’t let them keep animals.”

Love and direction

Niall runs a canine security company in Eastbourne and started picking up stray dogs, realising the local authority found it difficult to rehome dogs.

He said: “We started training them so they are reliable and can be rehomed. Fundamentally what you are looking at is the equivalent of an adolescent child with no discipline.

"They need love and direction.”

As well as rescuing and rehoming dogs, the pair run two family shows a year. Niall added: “Some of the new owners bring back the dogs that we have rescued.

“To see them doing what they should be doing, being part of a loving family, is really rewarding.”

The pair were nominated by Vikki Thomas, who said: “They dedicate themselves to rescuing abandoned dogs and puppies that other people just kick out like an unwanted guest.

“These two selfless people are making sure as many dogs as possible get rehomed into loving families who understand a dog is more than a old unwanted object.

“They are on call 24/7 and still have to work to pay the bills, their hearts are endless for every dog they take in.”

The Argus:

Hundreds of heroes go almost unnoticed in our communities.

But The Argus is determined to give them the recognition they thoroughly deserve.

We have teamed up with housing repair and maintenance company Mears to launch our weekly Local Heroes Award.

We are inviting readers to nominate their candidates and tell us why they have put them forward for the award.

Contact Kimberly Middleton on 01273 544519 or email kimberly.middleton@theargus.co.uk