A FOSTER carer for dogs has rediscovered her love for painting thanks to a Dogs Trust programme.

Jo Heather, from Salisbury, has helped to care for more than 30 rescue dogs, and started fostering dogs through Dogs Trust Salisbury's Home From Home scheme in 2017.

Since then, she has painted a picture of every dog that has come into her home, and says each one has given her "hours of relaxation" as she paints them while they sleep.

Jo said: “I studied Fine Art a few years ago but life got in the way and I had not picked up a paint brush for some time.

"But once I started fostering, our doggy visitors inspired me to revive my love of painting.

"It’s very therapeutic for both of us.”

Jo added that she’s always been a supporter of the charity but officially decided to get involved when she saw an advert for foster carers at the rehoming centre in Newton Tony while she was dropping off some donations, and has never looked back.

She said: “As my daughters were growing up, we would often visit the centre with donations and we were always in awe of the people who worked there and the valuable role Dogs Trust played.

"During one visit two years ago, we saw a poster highlighting the need for foster homes and thought that might be a way to get involved and play a positive part in a dog’s life.

"After a visit from the Home from Home coordinator, Emma Sainsbury, our minds were made up."

Emma Sainsbury, Home From Home Co-ordinator at Dogs Trust Salisbury, explains: “We are so incredibly lucky to have a fantastic network of foster carers like Jo.

"The Home From Home scheme is there to help our doggies whilst they wait to be adopted, but it’s also so heartwarming to see how the dogs can help their foster carers discover things about themselves too."

For more information on the foster scheme at Dogs Trust Salisbury, please call 0300 303 0292 or email hfhsalisbury@dogstrust.org.uk.