About Us
Joey’s Legacy was founded in september 2009. You can read the history of how we started and the story of Joey by clicking here
For 14 years we have run as a breed specific rescue, the sole aim when we first began, was to rescue and rehome boxers as this was our expertise, this soon progressed into taking in other brachycephalic breeds. Due to the nature of the breeds we take in, this often results in us having to deal with many different medical problems, as such we now specialise in rescuing and rehabilitating dogs with medical conditions as well as hand rearing puppies and many other rescue organisations, council pounds and veterinary surgeries often call on us for help with these types of dogs.
In 2021 the team discussed progressing the rescue even more, into an all breed rescue and we have now opened our doors to all breeds of dog, although we will always specialise in brachycephalic, medical cases and hand rearing, we will never turn a dog away purely due to its breed.
Our team are mainly based in liverpool but we have volunteers in lots of different areas. We do not have our own premises, so we rely on a network of foster homes in england and wales. In urgent or emergency situations where no foster home is available then we also use a local private boarding kennels to board the dog until we can find a suitable foster or permanent home.
We are a very small team, of just 3 trusteees, so volunteers are something we are always on the lookout for. The more help we have, the more dogs we can help in return.
We provide extensive veterinary care for the dogs that need it. We refuse to have dogs put to sleep, except for extreme medical reasons or irreversible behavioural conditions.
We have a long history of rescue and rehoming which continues to grow thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of our many supporters, volunteers, members and Trustees. If you would like to support us in our continuing efforts to help the dogs please see the Get Involved Page.
Our goal isto purchase our own premises where we can expand the amount of dogs we help, with on site training and rehabilitation, more volunteering opportunities and a safe “half way home” for our dogs.
Meet The Team
Nicky Heeley
Nicky is the founder of our rescue and the owner of Joey who the rescue is named after (read about Joey’s Legacy and how it began HERE). Nicky started rescuing dogs in early 2006. Nicky will always have a love for boxers and all dogs in general, but has a particular fondness for pugs too, especially those who may need extra care due to medical conditions, she currently owns 2 pugs and 2 boxers. Nicky has always worked with animals from a young age, after leaving school she began training as a dog groomer and veterinary nurse. She has a keen interest in helping dogs with medical conditions and will go the extra mile to ensure each dog gets the best medical care, regardless of costs. She has experience with hand rearing many litters of puppies too, including tube feeding cleft palate cases and caring for dogs with complex medical needs. Nickys dream is to one day open up a larger scale rescue centre, where more dogs can be helped. The premises will also offer a place for people who have additional needs or mental health issues, to work with dogs. Nicky is a carer for her young son who has ASD and ADHD and has seen just how much dogs can help. She is very keen to provide a service to people with mental and physical disabilities.