Barr Construction, one of Scotland’s leading construction companies, is demonstrating the caring side to construction by lending its backing to a new TV show which goes behind the scenes with the Scottish SPCA.

Animal 999 is a new eight-part series which seeks to highlight the good work being carried out by Scotland’s leading animal welfare charity, the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Making its debut at 8pm on Friday, April 13 on STV, Animal 999 shows the work of the Scottish SPCA inspectors and animal rescue officers, who work to protect thousands of domestic, farm and wild animals from harm and danger every year.

Barr Construction has a strong partnership with the Scottish SPCA and has been appointed to carry out new build and refurbishment work at four of its animal rescue centres around the country.

The construction company has further strengthened its ties to the organisation by becoming the main sponsor of Animal 999.

Barclay Chalmers, Managing Director of Barr Construction, said: “Over the last three years, Barr has created two state-of-the-art animal sanctuaries for the Scottish SPCA and co-ordinated the refurbishment of two others.

"We are incredibly proud of our alliance with Scottish SPCA and happy to make this more visible through joint sponsorship of the Animal 999 programme, which we hope will raise awareness of the charity and encourage much-needed support."


The most recent showcase for Barr’s work with the Scottish SPCA has come in the form of the charity’s new wildlife rescue centre at Fishcross, near Alloa in Clackmannanshire. The centre, which has just been completed, includes veterinary facilities, an operating theatre, pools for seals and sea birds, aviaries and wild mammal enclosures alongside two new dwelling houses for staff.

The Fishcross site also features six fox enclosures, three otter enclosures and facilities for deer, hare and wild birds. In total, the new centre covers around 7150 sq m.

Following the successful upgrade of the Scottish SPCA’s Highlands and Islands Centre in Inverness to accommodate more animals and visitors, including the creation of a new small animal unit and new access routes, Barr has also commenced work on the second phase of the development, which will see 21 new dog kennels and a dwelling house for staff added to the site when it is completed in summer this year.

The Scottish SPCA’s £2 million centre at Drumoak in Aberdeenshire was opened in summer 2011. Working in partnership with the charity, Barr created a dog wing with veterinary examination area and exercise yard, a cattery, a small animal facility and a main care unit housing a stable block, hay barn and horse paddocks.

The Animal 999 series shows the Scottish SPCA’s work across Scotland and features everything from the rescue of day-old baby hedgehogs and newly hatched blue tits to a pod of whales in danger of being stranded off the coast of Uist in the Outer Hebrides.

Scottish SPCA Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said: "Last year our animal helpline received over 180,000 calls, our rescue and re-homing centres cared for more than 13,000 animals and we took more cruelty cases to court than ever before.

"Even though huge numbers of people in Scotland know who we are and how we can help, we’re sure viewers of Animal 999 on STV will be surprised by how varied and demanding our work is.

"Thankfully, we are still largely a nation of animal lovers and this really comes across in the series. We are so grateful to everyone who calls our animal helpline to help an animal in distress and who supports our work."