Dogs Trust facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dogs Trust

Formation	1891; 134 years ago (1891)
Type	Charity
Registration no.	227523
Legal status	Charity
Headquarters	17 Wakley Street, London, England, UK
Location	United Kingdom and Ireland
CEO	Clarissa Baldwin (1986–2014) Adrian Burder (2014–2018) Owen Sharp (2019–)
Volunteers	6000
Formerly called	National Canine Defence League

Dogs Trust is a big charity in the UK that helps dogs. Before 2003, it was called the National Canine Defence League. It's the biggest dog welfare charity in the United Kingdom, looking after more than 15,000 dogs every year!

Dogs Trust works to protect all dogs from bad treatment and suffering. They focus on helping dogs that have been abandoned or given up by their owners. They find new, loving homes for these dogs.

Dogs Trust has 22 rehoming centres across the UK and Ireland. Their first international centre opened in Dublin, Ireland, in 2009. A special rule at Dogs Trust is that they never put down a dog that is healthy, either mentally or physically. They also help with microchipping and neutering dogs. This helps reduce the number of unwanted puppies and stray dogs.

History of Dogs Trust

The National Canine Defence League (NCDL) started way back in 1891. It began at a meeting during the first ever Crufts dog show. Lady Gertrude Stock led this meeting.

The NCDL worked hard to stop cruel things happening to dogs. They campaigned against things like animal testing (vivisection), muzzling dogs for too long, and keeping dogs chained up. They also helped stray dogs and fought against railway companies that didn't give dogs water.

In 1957, the NCDL spoke out against using dogs in space flights. They even held a minute of silence for Laika, a Russian space dog who sadly died in space.

In 2003, the NCDL changed its name to Dogs Trust. In 2017, the charity had an income of over £106 million, which shows how much support they get! In 2017, Dogs Trust also helped reduce dog homelessness in Bosnia and Herzegovina by helping to fund a large rehoming centre there. In 2019, they announced plans for a new rehoming centre in Cardiff, which opened in 2021.

The charity is famous for its slogan: "A Dog is for life, not just for Christmas." This phrase was created by Clarissa Baldwin, a former leader of the charity. It reminds people that getting a dog is a big commitment, not just for the holidays. This slogan is a registered trademark. More recently, they also use "Dogs Trust Never Put a Healthy Dog Down." During the COVID-19 pandemic, they changed their main slogan slightly to "A Dog is for Life, not just for Lockdown."

Finding Dogs New Homes

Dogs Trust aims to find new homes for most dogs at its 22 rehoming centres in the UK and Ireland. They also have two large mobile rehoming units called 'Dogmobiles'. These are special vehicles with air-conditioned kennels. They travel around local areas, carrying dogs from nearby centres that are looking for new homes.

Dogs Trust never puts down healthy dogs. However, some dogs might have had a tough past and can't live in a normal home. For these dogs, the charity takes care of them through its Sponsor a Dog scheme. They have also created a special animal sanctuary where these dogs can live together, away from too much human contact.

Dogs Trust Rehoming Centres

Here is a list of some of their rehoming centres:

In 2012, Dogs Trust opened its eighteenth UK rehoming centre in Leicestershire. This centre, Dogs Trust Loughborough, was designed to be super eco-friendly! It uses renewable energy from things like a biomass boiler, green roofs, and solar panels. This helps the centre save money on running costs and is good for the planet.

Dogs Trust Campaigns

Fundraising in Leicester Square tube station

Dogs Trust has campaigned against docking (cutting) dogs' tails. They also offer free neutering services in some poorer countries. They run training programs for other animal welfare charities around the world to help reduce the number of feral (wild) dog populations.

Fighting Puppy Farming

In 2010, Dogs Trust started using the term 'battery farming of dogs'. This was to help people understand that Puppy farming is as cruel as battery farming chickens. They want to teach people where they can safely buy a 'cruelty-free dog'.

Making Microchipping Compulsory

In 2009, Dogs Trust began working to make microchipping compulsory for all dogs in the UK. They successfully pushed for new laws that made this happen starting in 2015. A microchip helps reunite lost dogs with their owners.

Stopping Puppy Smuggling

Since 2014, Dogs Trust has been working to expose the cruel puppy smuggling trade. They release reports each year about this problem. They have found puppies that are too young to be imported and even pregnant dogs being smuggled into the UK. Dogs Trust set up a "Puppy Pilot" scheme to help these seized puppies. They care for them and help them get rehomed. In 2020, they also highlighted "Dogfishing" scams. These are when people buy pets that seem healthy but then get sick or die soon after.

Helping People and Dogs

Freedom Project

The Dogs Trust Freedom Project helps dogs whose owners are experiencing domestic abuse. It provides foster care for these dogs. This service helps people find safety in refuges, which often don't allow pets. The project operates in many areas across England and Scotland.

Hope Project

For over 20 years, Dogs Trust has worked with charities that help people experiencing homelessness, like St Mungo's. The Hope Project supports dogs owned by people who are struggling with housing. They give out Christmas gift packages with treats, leads, and coats for dogs. The project also helps people with vet bills for their dogs.

Dogs Trust Around the World

Dogs Trust Worldwide helps dog welfare globally. They work with partner charities in countries like Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India.

Dogs Trust Bosnia helps create a kind and lasting system for managing dog populations in that country.

Dogs Trust USA started in 2018. It supports rescue organizations across the USA and has also started Dog School classes in New York and California.

Events and Awards

A Dog's Life, the Trust's award-winning garden at the 2016 Hampton Court Flower Show

Dogs Trust Honours

In 2008, the charity started Dogs Trust Honours. This is an annual awards ceremony that celebrates the special bond between Humans and dogs. It honours dogs who have greatly helped their owners, local community, or society.

Hampton Court Flower Show 2016

To celebrate their 125th anniversary, Dogs Trust had a garden called "A Dog's Life" at the Hampton Court Flower Show in 2016. It won a gold medal! The garden was designed to be a beautiful and fun place for both dogs and people. It had dog-friendly features like tunnels and "sniffer tracks."

A Dog’s Trail

In Spring 2022, an art trail called "A Dog's Trail" took place across Cardiff, Caerphilly, and Porthcawl in Wales. The trail featured statues of Snoopy from Peanuts. These Snoopy figures were later auctioned off to raise money for Dogs Trust, collecting over £150,000!

How Many Dogs They Help

Dogs Trust helps thousands of dogs every year. The table below shows how many dogs they have cared for, rehomed, or reunited with their owners over the years.

Year	Dogs cared for	Dogs rehomed	Dogs reunited with owners	Dogs died
2005	13,506	11,563	168	273
2006	15,162	12,993	192	215
2007	16,177	14,022	185	334
2008	16,238	14,169	190	260
2009	15,886	13,909	178	226
2010	16,813	14,590	237	276
2011	15,986	13,830	178	309
2012	16,879	14,825	202	199
2013	16,879	14,865	220	238
2014	14,630	14,419	203	214
2015	15,196	12,987	204	188
2016	15,343	13,067	226	270
2017	15,446	13,141	242	312
2018	15,015	12,624	310	331
2019	14,301	11,790	244	292
2020	10,416	8,473	n/a	252
2021	10,864	8,550	n/a	335
2022	12,546	9,707	n/a	423

Other Animal Charities

• Swansea Jack (1930–1937), a brave dog honoured by the National Canine Defence League
• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
• Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
• The Blue Cross
• Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA)