An interview with Dogs Trust
Supporting some of the UKs best loved charities makes us so proud here at Charity Link! Knowing that what we do as a fundraising agency is helping them to deliver such essential work is huge motivation to always do our best.
This week we were delighted to chat with our longest standing charity partner Dogs Trust and find out what they've been up to, with their goals for the coming year and beyond.
Can you tell us a little bit about the history behind Dogs Trust?
Dogs Trust is the UK’s leading dog-welfare charity.
Founded in 1891 by Lady Gertrude Stock as the ‘National Canine Defence League (NCDL)’, her small group vowed to campaign against cruelty to dogs. In the decades that followed, the NCDL continued to campaign for better dog welfare, surviving two world wars, expanding their operations and opening rehoming centres across the UK.
In 2003, the NCDL changed its name to Dogs Trust to better reflect our mission.
When a dog is in distress, we care for them.
When a dog needs a home, we find them a loving family.
When an owner needs a helping hand (or paw!) – or they just can’t cope, we’re ready to step in.
We care for and rehome thousands of dogs every year. But we are also always striving to deliver more for dogs. From outreach programs and education initiatives to helping change laws, we’re committed to creating a better future for dogs and the people who love them.
What would you say the charity culture of Dogs Trust is?
Dogs Trust's mission is to bring about the day when all dogs can enjoy a happy life, free from the threat of unnecessary destruction.
We love dogs. It’s why we’re working to become a global force for good in dog welfare, doing whatever we can to help dogs live life to the full.
Our passionate and dedicated staff and volunteers have driven our many achievements, from changing laws and expanding abroad to supporting thousands of dogs and owners. From canine carers to behaviourists, vets to volunteers, every member of our family plays an important role.
For every dog, for every owner, we’re by their side through thick and thin, throughout their lives. The bond they have is special to us. It changes lives, making each day happier and more complete. It’s why we believe A dog is for life.®
What are Dogs Trust most immediate goals?
Last year we launched our new strategy: Here for dogs, today and tomorrow.
Our 10 year strategy is ambitious but our values reflect that ambition. We dream big, we’re on the ball and we make things happen.
We’re revolutionising rehoming
Dogs Trust rehoming centre in Cardiff
From opening our state of the art centre in Cardiff, to digitising our processes. We’re investing in improving the way rehoming works for everyone.
We expanded our fostering schemes and improved the way matching works. The launch of our brand new website has helped to showcase our dogs in their best light and make the journey of rehoming seamless.
We’re preventing problems from becoming crises
We launched our National Dog Survey, the biggest of its kind, and listened to the nation’s dog owners to learn from them. We expanded our Outreach and education programmes to make sure we can be there for more dog owners when they need us. We gave the public access to our behaviour expertise by recruiting community behaviourists and launching our Training and Behaviour Helpline.
We’re improving welfare in sourcing and breeding
We lobbied the government to include visual checks in the Kept Animals Bill so we can finally end puppy smuggling for good.
We’re expanding our international impact
When Ukrainian dog owners needed us, we were there for them. We opened two emergency kennels to quarantine dogs until they could be safely reunited with their families in the UK.
We’re growing our reach, engagement and influence. We launched our Dog Friendly Workplaces and Clinic programmes and built influence with policymakers. We’re levelling up digitally and building a bond with the next generation of Dogs Trust supporters on new platforms like TikTok.
The year ahead will be a challenge, we’re potentially looking at the biggest animal welfare crisis in a generation. But we will rise to it and will make sure that we’re there for all dogs and those who love them. Because A dog is for life.®
Which achievements are Dogs Trust most proud of?
In the past 130 years we’ve celebrated many successes.
Some of our earlier achievements include The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 being amended in 1997 so that specific breeds of dogs no longer had to automatically be destroyed. This followed pressure from the League and other partner organisations.
We have helped over 2000 people since we first launched the Freedom Project in 2004, a free dog fostering service to help people and their dogs escape domestic abuse.
We have also funded thousands of veterinary treatments through our Hope Project, which provides vital support to dog owners experiencing homelessness or in housing crisis.
In 2015 we launched our Dog School, helping thousands of owners and their pooches understand each other better.
The projects we support around the globe also make big, positive and sustainable changes to dog welfare. In India, our partner Help in Suffering has neutered and vaccinated thousands of dogs against rabies and helped halve the number of street dogs.
We have achieved all this and more in trying to make tomorrow’s world a better place for all dogs, but it was only possible thanks to the help of our supporters.
What are the current challenges Dogs Trust is facing?
We have an ambitious strategy to be there for dogs, today and tomorrow.
But 2023 will bring significant challenges as we face into the largest animal welfare crisis for a generation, caused by the increase in the cost of living.
We received over 50,000 enquiries in 2022 from people who felt they needed to hand over their dog. There’s been a notable increase in the number of people calling in for financial reasons, citing huge increases in their regular monthly bills, such as energy and mortgage payments, as the reason why they can no longer afford doggy basics such as food, which has also increased in price.
Our plan is to step up, to remain focused on our long-term strategy whilst addressing the urgent need to keep dogs and their humans together, so we can be there when dogs need us most.
We’re currently looking at a range of options to specifically help dog owners who are facing extremely challenging financial situations and need short-term assistance to prevent them from having to give up their dog, including setting up foodbanks in our centres and providing support to dog owners to help them cope with the tough times ahead. We’re also calling on the Government to support dog owners by pausing VAT on pet food and vet services.
2023 will not be without its challenges, as we face into the perfect storm of squeezed finances and increased demand for our services, but we will work together to focus on the priorities that will enable us to do more for dogs, as only by working collaboratively can we make our biggest difference.
Where does a donor's money go when they support Dogs Trust?
The promise to never put down a healthy dog has been our rallying cry for years. It is the cornerstone of what we stand for, but we want more for dogs than simply to avoid euthanasia.
We want to see all dogs, wherever they are, living full, safe and happy lives. And we know, to make this happen, we need to work with people as well as dogs — the people who own dogs or who care for them, and those who will in the future.
Every pound we receive comes direct from a person who believes in our work, someone who hopes we can do our best for dogs and their owners. Every supporter that gets behind us helps us to do our jobs and fulfil our mission.
We couldn’t do any of the life changing – and lifesaving – work that we do without the generosity of our supporters and our amazing volunteers who help in the delivery of the work we do.
How is Charity Link making a difference to Dogs Trust?
The majority of our regular givers are recruited on to our Sponsor a Dog programme through face-to-face fundraising.
Our Sponsor a Dog programme is our most successful fundraising product and has flourished thanks to the dedication of Charity Link and its fundraisers.
It generates one third of Dogs Trust’s overall income and last year raised £35.6 million! We also reached the incredible milestone of signing up one million supporters in April 2022 – a mind-blowing figure and only possible with the help of Charity Link.
Can you tell us about the new lotteries campaign?
Our brand new Lucky Pups Lotto gives supporters the chance to win amazing cash prizes every week and help our furry friends too.
For just £1 a week there are over 100 prizes up for grabs! Every Friday there is a prize draw and if their numbers match the numbers that are drawn, they win a prize! All prizes have a guaranteed winner every single week.
We began promoting the lottery in August last year and it has become increasingly successful thanks to the team of fundraisers working hard on our behalf to promote it to the public.
Is there anything Charity Link could do better to help Dogs Trust?
Charity Link have played a vital part in reaching dog owners and lovers and inspiring them to support our work. They have helped the Sponsor a Dog programme become our most successful fundraising product and are endeavouring to do the same with the Lucky Pups Lotto.
As a dog welfare charity, we at Dogs Trust are deeply committed to helping dogs in need, but we know that we can't do it alone. That's why we have been so grateful to have Charity Link as a partner.
What would you say to other charities who might be considering using a professional fundraising company?
Charity Link's dedication to helping charities like ours has been nothing short of amazing. They have helped us raise vital funds to support our rescue and rehoming efforts, and their expertise and guidance have been invaluable.
They take the time to understand our specific needs and goals and tailor their services to meet those needs. Charity Link always goes above and beyond to ensure our success.
We are so grateful to have Charity Link as a partner and look forward to continuing to work with them to make a positive difference in the lives of dogs in need.
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