Volunteers investigated for 'stealing' dogs from Rosesdene Rescue Centre
Campaigners who stepped in to rehome dogs from troubled Rosedene Rescue Centre have denied stealing them, after police confirmed they were looking into allegations of theft and fraud.
The dog shelter in Rushall closed down temporarily earlier this month amid damning claims about the conditions the dogs were kept in.
Volunteers, who made the allegations, walked away from the centre while a group who took the dogs on has launched a campaign for Rosedene to be shut down permanently.
But now they have been accused of taking the dogs illegally.
The group, called Rosedene 12, denied the claims.
A spokeswoman for them, who did not wish to be named, told the Express & Star: “We had all of the dogs signed over.
“If we obtained them illegally then so has everyone who has ever had a dog from there, because we had the dogs signed over in exactly the same way.
“We welcome the police getting involved.
“We have gathered a lot of evidence of our own and we already knew we would have to give statements.”
A spokeswoman for Rosedene confirmed the centre was currently being revamped and with a view towards re-opening within two to three weeks, although they had yet to formally apply for a new licence from officials at Walsall Council.
She said owner Desmond Goodall could not say anymore at this stage because he now considered it a ‘police matter’.
Two petitions calling for Rosedene to be shut down altogether have each amassed more than 1,000 signatures.
A protest is also set to take place in Walsall town centre on Saturday from midday.
The council confirmed they inspected Rosedene multiple times last year due to rat infestations which were addressed.
The centre was temporarily closed down in 2010 after the RSPCA raided it with police, seizing dozens of dogs.
It was allowed to re-open later that year.
