A leading animal charity has welcomed the Chief Constable of Sussex as its new patron.
Jo Shiner has taken up the role with the Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare which is based at The Broyle, Ringmer.
Raystede said: “Jo became the force’s ninth Chief Constable in July 2020 and is the first female Chief Constable in the history of Sussex Police.
“Jo, who joins the charity’s three other patrons in the honorary position, will hold the role for three years.
“In a policing career of over 31 years, Jo has undertaken a wide variety of roles across three forces.
“She is also a national ambassador for Oscar Kilo 9 (OK9) which is the canine element of the Police Wellbeing Service and the proud patron of Sussex Search and Rescue and Sussex Police Charitable Trust.”
Raystede chief executive Stephanie Smith said: “We are delighted that the Chief Constable has accepted our invitation to become one of our patrons.
“Following her visit to Raystede earlier in the year, it was clear that not only was she a keen animal lover but she had a real understanding of the many challenges that we face as an animal welfare charity.
“She expressed a great deal of interest in the work we are doing within community support, particularly around our Break Away scheme which provides temporary foster care for pets belonging to individuals facing crises, such as hospitalisation or fleeing domestic abuse.
“It is therefore a great pleasure to welcome her as a patron and we look forward to her support as we move forward with our work to expand our reach and impact, helping both animals and pet owners right across Sussex.”
Chief Constable Shiner said: “I am incredibly humbled to become a patron of this wonderful charity.
“As an animal lover and someone with a keen interest in animal welfare, I look forward to supporting Raystede in their ongoing work helping both animals and pet owners right across Sussex and the wider region.”
She joins three other patrons, Andrew Blackman who, as the Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex, is the King’s personal representative in the county, and two deputy lieutenants, Gus Christie and Tim Cobb.
Mr Christie runs Glyndebourne Opera House and has a degree in zoology and Mr Cobb runs a public relations business in Eastbourne and Brighton.
Raystede said: “This year has been another challenging year for Raystede as the charity continues to experience a high number of requests from people needing to give up their pets as well as a slowdown in rehoming.
“Raystede had 4,278 animal surrender requests in 2023-24, the highest ever total.
“The charity receives no government funding which means that it depends entirely on the generosity of supporters to meet the daily £6,500 cost to pay for its animal care and rehoming costs.
“To find out more about the work of Raystede, visit www.raystede.org.”
