From Stray to Stay: Inside inspiring rescue Maxi’s Mates

Building from the ground up

Maxi’s Mates began when co-founders Jane Galliford and Michelle Cooper came together to help a dog no one else could catch. From trapping Maxi safely, to supporting their local kennels, to eventually opening their own purpose-built centre in 2016, their journey is one many in rescue will recognise: filling a gap when services closed, pushing forward with determination, and building on community trust.

Today, they hold stray contracts for Redcar & Cleveland and Hambleton, caring for more than 50 dogs across 56 kennels. A team of 17 part-time staff, plus volunteers, make it work, but as Jane explains, “Facebook is still our heartbeat. Our 55,000-strong online community shares, donates, and helps lost dogs find their way home. We couldn’t do it without them.”

Matching dogs and owners

Maxi’s Mates have woven education into every step of their adoption process. Each adopter undergoes a home check, with a focus on empathy, stability, and realistic expectations. Breed information is shared openly, and tools like behaviour assessments help match dogs with suitable homes.

This thoughtful approach not only reduces returns but also fosters adopters who become long-term advocates. As Jane puts it: “There’s no perfect home, just the right one for that dog. We’ve learned that transparency early on saves heartbreak later.”

Agria’s new “Pawsonality” profiler could support similar efforts, helping adopters make confident, informed choices that match lifestyles and preferences to the kind of dog that could be your forever four-legged friend.

Facing the financial burden

Like every rescue, the financial reality is unrelenting. Maxi’s Mates receive around £70 per dog under their council contracts, a fraction of real costs. Fuel alone is £30,000 a year, alongside rent, vet bills, maintenance, and wages.

Their strategies to close this gap might inspire others:

• Community fundraising: from dog shows (£2,000 raised in one day) to sponsored walks where supporters, with dogs in tow, join along the route.
• Memorial donations: encouraging families to direct funeral donations to the rescue, which has become an unexpectedly strong source of support.
• Kennel sponsorship: offering annual or seasonal sponsorship plaques (£500–£1,000) that give donors a tangible connection to their impact.

While none of these removes the pressure, they provide practical ways to diversify income streams.

Adapting to new challenges

Shifting breed trends present fresh difficulties. Where once they saw mostly lurchers, Maxi’s Mates now receive more Belgian Malinois, high-drive dogs that often struggle in kennels. Reinforcing runs to “Malini-proof” them has been one response, alongside seeking working homes in prison services.

Their honesty about what isn’t working is as valuable as their successes. “Some of these dogs are just young, frustrated, and misunderstood,” Jane admits. Sharing these experiences helps the wider community prepare for similar surges of this kind and the infrastructure adjustments they demand.

The takeaway

For Maxi’s Mates, the rescue journey has always been about persistence: starting with one dog who needed them, and extending that determination to over 50 dogs they now care for daily. Their lessons in education, financial resilience, and adapting to breed shifts offer practical insight for rescues facing similar pressures.

Or, as Jane puts it: “We think of the ones we’ve rehomed. And for the ones who can’t leave, we make their lives as happy as we can. That’s what keeps us going.”