×

News and Events

Newsletter submissions to - Sandy Waldon

07583 346976 ¦ newsletter@essw.co.uk

Springer News

2026 Calendar

We’re thrilled to announce that our 2026 English Springer Spaniel Welfare Charity Calendar is now available! This year’s edition is extra special; it features stunning photographs submitted by our wonderful community as part of our recent calendar competition. Every image showcases one of our rehomed springers, past and present, each with their own unique story and personality. From cheeky pups to dignified seniors, these dogs are living proof of the love and second chances your support makes possible.

The calendar is not only a beautiful tribute to the dogs we’ve helped, but also a vital fundraiser that supports our ongoing rescue and rehoming work. It makes a perfect gift for dog lovers and ESSW supporters alike. The calendars are available in both A4 and Slimline with a discount for bulk orders

And don’t forget to visit our Christmas Shop, now open for the festive season! You’ll find a delightful selection of greeting cards, gifts, and stocking fillers, all designed with springer lovers in mind. Every purchase helps us continue our mission to rescue and rehome springers in need so you can spread holiday cheer while making a real difference. Happy shopping!

Events

Annual General Meeting

The AGM was held on Saturday May 17th 2025 at Premier Meetings Winchester SO23 0RS at 1pm.

Back to Top

×

About Us

Caring for English Springers since 1990. Charity No. 1154632

Our area coordinators cover the South of England and parts of Wales below an imaginary line drawn across from Mid Wales to the Ipswich area.

We have the potential to operate throughout Great Britain but often our work is limited to areas we have helpers and coordinators. A list of key personnel can be found on the contacts page. If you have a dog that you would like us to consider for rehoming please go to our rehoming page and complete the applicable form, fill it in and return it to your local coordinator. All dogs coming in to the care of ESSW for re homing that have an unknown vaccination history are given a titer test to avoid unnecessary vaccinations they are also fed a raw food diet, please see the Canine Health Concern website on our Partners page under Canine Retailers and Services for more information.

Patrons

Lord Astor of Hever DL

Jay Postones

Jenny Seagrove

Vicky Payne BVetMed MRCVS

Isobel McGlashon

Jackie Meager

Archie Norman

Who We Are

English Springer Spaniel Welfare is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, formed in 1990 and recognised by the Kennel Club as a breed specific welfare and rescue organisation. ESSW is run by volunteers and although we do not profess to be experts we have many years experience within the breed, both in working and showing these wonderful dogs. Working throughout the South of England with Area Coordinators covering the counties below the English Midlands and the Southern counties of Wales. Our aims and objectives are to support the prevention of maltreatment and cruelty to English Springer Spaniels and in particular to encourage responsible ownership. To find suitable homes for Springers whos owners are unable to re home them themselves. To give advice to ESS owners having problems coping with their dogs. To raise funds through donations, subscriptions and fund raising events to cover our costs. To encourage responsible practices in the breeding of the ESS.

What We Do

We operate within Great Britain and our aims and objectives are: To support the prevention of maltreatment and cruelty to English Springers and in particular encourage responsible ownership. To find suitable new forever homes for English Springers whose owners are unable to rehome them themselves. To give advice to ESS owners having problems coping with their dogs. To raise funds through donations, subscriptions and fund-raising events to cover our costs. To encourage responsible practices in the breeding of English Springers.

Fact sheet about ESSW

PDF About ESSW

Fact sheet about Springers

PDF Springers

Back to Top

×

Helping Us

All charities rely on a generous public to enable them to continue their vital work. Ours is no different. The dogs that come into our care sometimes need medical treatment, neutering or vaccination. They may have to be kennelled or go into temporary foster care. They may have to be transported from one county to another. There are also administration costs such as telephone, postage and stationery. It costs the charity an average £350 to rehome one of the over 100 dogs that we place every year. Please have a look at the information below to see how you can help.

Become a Member

The Friends of ESSW would love to welcome you as a new joiner for this year. Membership of the Friends only costs £12 for the year (Jan to Dec).All of our Friends receive 2 packed newsletters (Springboard) a year and have the satisfaction of knowing that they are supporting the important work that we do.

Pay for membership via PayPal

You can apply for membership online

eForm Membership form

Hard copies of membership forms can also be downloaded here

Word Membership

PDF Membership

Application to be a Helper

Word Helper

PDF Helper

Fundraising

As with all charities, English Springer Spaniel Welfare are reliant on our members and supporters helping us out with fundraising ideas.If you can hold a coffee morning, a charity hair cut or grooming day, or a sponsored walk on our behalf let us know about it and we can help publicise it for you by listing it here.

Text Donations to ESSW

You can now text donations to ESSW! Thanks to Vodafone working with Just Giving it is now as simple as sending a text message to donate anything from £1 to £10 in an instant!

Simply text 'ESSW11' followed by your chosen donation, £1-£10 to 70070. You even get the opportunity to gift aid your donation, making it worth 25% more! Get texting!

Legacies

Legacies are always welcome.Please arrange these with your solicitor or legal adviser and notify our secretary

general-secretary@essw.co.uk

Donations

Donations can be made via the online button below or by cheque to our Treasurer. Do remember to accompany any cheque with a completed membership and/or gift aid form.

treasurer@essw.co.uk

Direct Debit forms can be downloaded here

Word Direct Debit

PDF Direct Debit

Fostering & Kennelling

Become a Fosterer for one of our dogs while we seek a new permanent adopter. Please contact our National Coordinator.

natcoord@essw.co.uk

You can also become a helper for one of our coordinators and be trained to do home and dog assessments.

Back to Top

×

Rehoming

An English Springer Spaniel is a wonderful friend and companion. However before making the decision to rehome a dog there are certain issues that you may like to consider. An application form to rehome an English Springer Spaniel can be found on our Downloads page

Before you Contact Us

Important things to remember when contacting us about re homing a dog.

*We are a team of volunteers, we having busy working and family lives, but we aim to respond to phone calls and emails within 48 hours, if at all possible. If there is no response after that time please consider that we could be on holiday, unwell or committed elsewhere. Please leave a clear message briefly explaining the reason for your call. If urgent then please contact the National Coordinator.

* Dogs are carefully matched as best as possible to new owners, if we feel you are not going to be suitable, please don't take it to heart that you have been turned down for a dog you feel would be suitable for. The coordinator responsible for the dog and its foster carer are the best judge of what would be a suitable home. The aim is to ensure we get it right for all concerned the first time around, having to return a dog for whatever reason often sets the dog back a step and means further work and trust is required to enable a second re homing to be more successful. There will eventually be a good match for both dog and new owner, so please be patient with us.

*If you are asked to visit a dog outside of your coordinator area please understand that should for any reason the dog not be suitable you will be asked to return the dog from where it came from. The foster carer we used for that particular dog will be familiar with it and vice versa.

*If you are interested in re homing a dog from us you will be asked to complete our re homing application form, once the completed form has been returned to your nearest coordinator, they will then arrange at a mutually convenient time your home assessment. After the home assessment, if approved, your details will be added to our secure data base where only our team can access and discuss your requirements between themselves before offering you the chance to view a dog. Donations will be expected at the time of re homing. No dog will be allowed to leave for its new home without a donation being given. ESSW's total expenditure for dogs re homed in 2023 was £450 per dog, please consider a minimum donation of at least £350 at the time of re homing.

*Home assessments cost us time and money, please only apply to re home a dog if you are fully committed and please always tell us if you have re homed a dog from another source.

Application for a Dog form

Word Application for a Dog

PDF Application for a Dog

Dog for Rehoming form

Word Dog for Rehoming

PDF Dog for Rehoming

What if it Goes Wrong?

We are here to help and give advice and guidance with any problems that may crop up at any time. Our 'Helping Hand' leaflet deals with some of the more obvious but there may be other problems that you might need to discuss with us. If all fails the dog must be returned to our care. You will be pleased to know most welfare dogs settle happily first time around!

Back to Top

×

Sponsor

"Sponsored by Me"

Please browse our dogs available to sponsor below.You can sponsor an ESSW dog for a minimum of £3 per month, which will help go towards feed, care and veterinary costs. In return a certificate, photo of the chosen dog, soft Springer toy and updates will be sent.

For more information contact us via the email below (referencing the dog you wish to support)

Dogs

Milo

Milo was surrendered in September 2020 by his elderly owners who had bought him from a Preloved advert. He weighed only 14kg, was nervous and aggressive with people and dogs and had some nasty chewing and lick sores. Milo had a lot of digestive issues and by the time he came to me in Devon he weighed only 9kg, extensive tests and trials with several different foods in his first foster home really didn’t show why he was losing so much weight but I put him on a raw diet and gave him Treebarks powder and it was soon pretty obvious he was suffering from what’s known as ‘Leaky Gut’ syndrome. Within a few weeks he had gained 2 kg and he hasn’t looked back, he now weighs 17kg. He is a monkey for eating stones so he needs to be muzzled when outside, his dog aggression has pretty much disappeared but he will still have a pop at strangers and new dogs so the muzzle only comes off when he’s accepted them, then he’s fine!

Milo born 16/08/2018 ESSW vet fees to date = £2100

Skye

Skye’s happy image above really cannot convey the fear she still holds within her. She came to ESSW in October 2024. We highlighted her plight in a recent newsletter, number 2 of the 3 girls we took after they were being used for breeding. Her kennel confinement during her short life has left her with severe spinning and trust issues. Even after nearly 12 months in foster she still cannot cope with the outside world, any change in her routine and she falls to pieces, she is without doubt the most traumatised dog I have ever come across. Despite it all she is such a sweet Spaniel and I have never heard a growl from her in all the time she has been with us. She’s no longer chewing her paws raw to the point of bleeding. She is still reluctant to pass us through a door or gateway unless we give her enough space and even then she will shoot through as fast as she can.

Skye born 22/03/2021 ESSW vet fees to date = £393.58

Momo

Momo came to ESSW in May 2023, another absolutely terrified young dog that just went to pieces at the sight of a lead and didn’t want to pass through gates or doorways. It’s taken us over 2 years to get her to where she is now and even to this day she will urinate if approached with a lead. Momo loves a ball, she’s a sweet non aggressive dog with us, she needs to be spayed but we still feel she couldn’t cope with the experience of the procedure such is her fear of the outside world and any change in her routine. We feel she would bite, one of the reasons her former owner was going to have her put to sleep as he felt he couldn’t trust her, she wouldn’t bite us, of that I am sure, we’ve been through so much together and she trusts us but she trusts no one else. Momo, like Skye, have been so traumatised by their past life it wouldn’t be fair to move them to a new home.

Momo born 30/06/2022 ESSW vet fees to date = £0

Aimee

Aimee, a working dog that had lived in a barn came to ESSW in February 2024. She arrived a skinny dog, was matted and covered in fleas, she had a mouth full of rotten teeth with foul breath, her eyes were cloudy and she was incontinent. Having never lived in a home before she had to get used to everyday noises which at first sent her running to her bed. Once she was bathed and groomed she went to the vet to have treatment for ear infections, sort out her bladder control and had all but 6 of her teeth removed! She can only hear high pitched sounds due to being 90% deaf. Thanks to the care of her foster family Aimee has turned in to a quirky Princess who LOVES the sofa and spends most of the day cuddled up on her ortho bed. She dances and sings when she sees her food being prepared and we are going to add Pawable to her food daily with the hope it will help with her old age stiffness so she can enjoy more time in comfort and luxury during her retirement.

Aimee born 13/07/2013 ESSW vet fees to date = £1,956.48

Parker

Parker came in to ESSW in April 2024. Signed over by his owner who was experiencing some mental health issues, he had been fed when she remembered to do it so was very underweight and he was covered in fleas. He was so anemic due to the fleas he spent 2 days on a drip in the vets, he had a severe ear infection, a rapid and erratic pulse, his gums were white and he had no muscle due to having had no exercise. Parker is a real character and a really handsome boy, who is in foster with Mike. It has taken about 16 months for him to really settle down after all the trauma he went through and he can still be quite ferocious when frightened of something and gets very over-excited and barks around food, but most of the time is a darling. At his age and with his background we feel it is best for him to stay with Mike where he is well settled and happy. In the last couple of months he has even taking to cuddling up on Mike’s lap in the evening – something we never dreamt he would do. He absolutely adores swimming and gets regular dips on his Dartmoor walks.

Parker born 10/07/2015 ESSW vet fees to date £1,517.99

Heidi

Heidi who came in to ESSW on 19/11/2024 is the sweetest, quietest, but quite nervous little dog. With her urinary incontinence and age we felt it best that she stay in foster. She loves her walks and really comes to life, positively leaping around and showing her gun dog background, sniffing and hunting in the undergrowth. She keeps up with the other dogs very well but understandably at her age has a degree of arthritis so we don’t overdo it. At home she tends to lie quietly in one of her beds apart from when I’m preparing food! Despite being on 3 times daily treatment for her incontinence she still leaks urine a lot so has to be sponged down at least once a day. She knows what is coming and rolls over quite happily. We use incontinence /puppy pads on top of her bedding, partly to help her keep a bit drier and therefore less sore, but also to reduce washing although her bedding still needs changing daily and sometimes twice daily.

Heidi born 15/02/2013 ESSW vet fees to date £1,652.28

Elsie

Dear Elsie came back in to ESSW in July 2025 after 9 years when her owner became very ill. She is the sweetest of Springers, still very lively although stiffening up with age, she is a prime candidate for the Pawable collagen donated to ESSW and we’ll record how she does with taking it. Elsie had a dental and she also had a mast cell tumour removed from her back leg. She’s been through so much over the past few months but she’s always so happy. Now in permanent long term foster she’s going to be cuddled and spoilt by her new foster mum, Elsie is also using the Pawable collagen powders daily.

Elsie born 01/11/2012 ESSW vet fees to date £1,838.18

Nipper

Nipper came to ESSW 29/02/2024 and is such a sweet gentle soul. Nipper continues to be a real sweetheart, greatly loved by his foster carers Dennis and Joan.. He has arthritis, especially in his front left leg and hind legs, for which he is on joint supplements and analgesia. Despite this he is always keen to go for short walks through a small piece of nearby woodland, on an enclosed grass area just 5 minutes down the road or on a good day a slightly longer stroll on a flat piece of moorland. His front leg gives way now and again and his back legs can be wobbily but he is a very happy chap. He enjoys sunning himself in the garden and when not there will be snuggled up on Dennis’s feet. Whenever I visit he greets me with his toy pheasant, wagging his tail!

Nipper born 01/01/2012 ESSW vet fees to date £371.69

Lanie

Lanie who was girl 1 out of the 3 girls featured in the last newsletter, came to ESSW in October 2024. Lanie is still with her original foster carer and is making slow but steady progress but it’s unlikely she will ever be rehomed due to her nervousness and insecurities with the outside world, much like Skye, she finds it hard outside of her comfort zone.

Lanie born 11/09/2020 ESSW vet fees to date £1,279.87

Barnaby

Barnaby or “the bouncing bomb” as he is known by my friends, came in to ESSW in February 2024, he manages incredibly well considering his poor eyesight. He is a tough little lad, despite his blind left eye and the right not brilliant, he copes very well, bouncing around the house and on walks, and when playing with my cocker! However he does easily bump into even large things and on walks he is mainly glued to me, with his nose hardly ever leaving my left heel – that way he seems to feel safe. If he does have a little run round he panics if he can’t immediately find me – even though I’m only a few feet away. Care has to be taken with his left eye though as he has no blink reflex and his eye is due for removal very soon. When he came to us he also had major problems with a recurrent blocked ureter and bladder so has to be on special (expensive) food to ensure this does not recur. He was also on some human medication to help this for a while, but we have been able to stop that.

Barnaby born 28/09/2019 ESSW vet fees to date £2,166.93

Pixie

Pixie came in to ESSW in March 2024. Pixie had one of the worst cases of separation anxiety I have ever seen and she was dog aggressive after having been kept apart all her life from other dogs in the home due to fighting. Pixie has become much more tolerant of other dogs now and managed properly she has learnt to live with the dogs in her foster home with very few issues. Her separation anxiety has improved maybe 1% though! Trying to find a home for a dog that needs to be next to you every second of the day has been impossible, as one of us is home all the time then it’s ok for her to be here. Pixie is a scrounger, she will pick up and eat anything so we watch her carefully, especially when the apples fall from the trees! Losing her previous owner was clearly devastating for her but she’s now settled and happy, so unless the right home comes along Pixie will remain in long term foster

PIXIE born 21/10/2014 ESSW vet fees to date = £0

Back to Top

×

Meet our Dogs

Available | Reserved | Rehomed

Judy

Hi, my name is Judy and I am a 2 year old female Springer Spaniel.

See my video click here

Location: Norfolk

Neutered: Yes

Microchipped: Yes

Tail: Long

People Status

Nervous, needs to get to know people at her own pace -so she needs to be ignored by strangers! Now in foster for several weeks, she completely trusts her foster carers and is a happy, cheeky, playful, lively girl.

Dog Status

Nervous again. Will not initiate contact and will sniff if they get close. She is living with two in foster and tries to make them play. She will need a confident (and playful) doggy companion in her new home

Cat Status

Good.

Handling (Grooming)

Loves being brushed.

Training

Just the basics, fosterer has started to let her off lead and her recall is mostly good...she does have some prey drive. So, work in progress..

Travel

Good.

Home Alone

Exhibits some separation anxiety when main carer is in the house ( sleeps in the bedroom) but has been left for up to 3 hours with the resident dogs for company and has been fine.

House Training

Good.

Health

Good.

Summary

New Owners: Must be calm and confident and allow her to do things at her own pace. An understanding of body language both dog and human would be helpful. Must have another confident dog or dogs who will be a good role model and playmate. New owners will need to be firm and reward confident behaviour.

Other Comments: A quiet home without too many comings and goings is important. Patient owners who will give her the time and space to relax are a must. She will bark when visitors come to the house, bark if they move around...... all because she is scared. This is improving but will need continued training.

For more information please contact my area coordinator:

Rebecca Downie rebecca@essw.co.uk

Back to Top

News and Events

Newsletter submissions to - Sandy Waldon

Springer News

2026 Calendar

ESSW Online Shop

Events

Annual General Meeting

The AGM was held on Saturday May 17th 2025 at Premier Meetings Winchester SO23 0RS at 1pm.

About Us

Caring for English Springers since 1990. Charity No. 1154632

Our area coordinators cover the South of England and parts of Wales below an imaginary line drawn across from Mid Wales to the Ipswich area.

Patrons

Lord Astor of Hever DL

Jay Postones

Jenny Seagrove

Vicky Payne BVetMed MRCVS

Isobel McGlashon

Jackie Meager

Archie Norman

Who We Are

What We Do

Committee

Hon Chairman: Glynis Barnet

National Coordinator: Sandy Waldon

Treasurer: Claudia Dickson

Secretary: Isobel McGlashon

Membership Secretary: Julie Moore

Area Coordinators

Cornwall

North East - Sandy Waldon

Mid and South East - Julie Moore

Devon

North - Sandy Waldon

South West - Julie Moore

Dorset

Sandy Waldon

Essex

Rebecca Downie

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire - Kim Pulham

South West Gloucestershire and the Forest of Dean - Sandy Waldon

Oxfordshire

Kim Pulham

Somerset

Sandy Waldon

Suffolk and South East Norfolk

Rebecca Downie

Wiltshire

Kim Pulham

Areas Without a Coordinator

Sandy Waldon

Admin Team

Seasonal Art Creator

Isobel McGlashon

Web Design/Management

Andy Hayers

Newsletter Editor

Sandy Waldon

Helping Us

Become a Member

Pay for membership via PayPal

Fundraising

Text Donations to ESSW

You can now text donations to ESSW! Thanks to Vodafone working with Just Giving it is now as simple as sending a text message to donate anything from £1 to £10 in an instant!

Simply text 'ESSW11' followed by your chosen donation, £1-£10 to 70070. You even get the opportunity to gift aid your donation, making it worth 25% more! Get texting!

Legacies

Legacies are always welcome.Please arrange these with your solicitor or legal adviser and notify our secretary

Donations

Donations can be made via the online button below or by cheque to our Treasurer. Do remember to accompany any cheque with a completed membership and/or gift aid form.

Fostering & Kennelling

Become a Fosterer for one of our dogs while we seek a new permanent adopter. Please contact our National Coordinator.

You can also become a helper for one of our coordinators and be trained to do home and dog assessments.

Rehoming

An English Springer Spaniel is a wonderful friend and companion. However before making the decision to rehome a dog there are certain issues that you may like to consider. An application form to rehome an English Springer Spaniel can be found on our Downloads page

Before you Contact Us

Important things to remember when contacting us about re homing a dog.

*If you are asked to visit a dog outside of your coordinator area please understand that should for any reason the dog not be suitable you will be asked to return the dog from where it came from. The foster carer we used for that particular dog will be familiar with it and vice versa.

*Home assessments cost us time and money, please only apply to re home a dog if you are fully committed and please always tell us if you have re homed a dog from another source.

What if it Goes Wrong?

Sponsor