Dogs have an ace time with donated tennis balls

A university tennis club has donated a "big bag" of used balls to a dog rehoming centre.

Ruby Pummell and Ed Ingles from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich served-up the treat to the Dogs Trust in Snetterton.

The club said it was part of a drive to be more sustainable.

The Dogs Trust said its furry residents were having an ace time playing with their new toys.

"Donations like these are always greatly appreciated," the centre manager, Kelly Smith, said.

"Small comforts like tennis balls to play around with help us care for, entertain and engage with the dogs waiting for their forever homes."

Tennis player, Ruby Pummell, who studies marketing and management at the UEA, said being a large club they go through balls "very quickly".

"We thought that by donating the balls to the Dogs Trust, not only would the balls be repurposed and gain a new lease of life, but we could also help them to save money on resources and give the dogs something new to play with," she added.

According to the United Nations, about 330 million tennis balls worldwide end up in landfill each year.

It is claimed they can take more than 400 years to decompose.

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