Angel investor, mentor and speaker and Mark Lyttleton is a supporter and regular contributor to the charity Dogs Trust. This article explores the history and impact of the charity that cares for and rehabilitates ‘man’s best friend’. It also looks at the organisation’s current efforts supporting families fleeing the Ukraine, providing a vital lifeline by enabling them to care for and protect their beloved pets.
Today, most dog owners regard their pet as a much-loved member of the family. However, when Dogs Trust was founded in the 19th Century, attitudes towards canines were very different in the UK. For the most part, dogs were purchased to fulfil a specific task and practices such as prolonged chaining that are widely regarded as cruel today were prevalent. In 1891, Dogs Trust founder Lady Gertrude created a small group that campaigned against animal cruelty, which was then called the National Canine Defence League. To learn more about Lady Gertrude Stock, please view the attached PDF.
Over the decades, the National Canine Defence League campaigned for better dog welfare. Surviving two world wars, the charity worked with partners overseas to increase rehoming. The organisation has celebrated numerous successes in the years since, including launching Dog School and helping to change UK animal welfare legislation. You can learn more about UK criminal law that regulates the treatment of pets by viewing the attached infographic.
In 1964, the National Canine Defence League adopted the policy of never destroying a healthy dog in its care. Joining forces with several other animal welfare organisations, the National Canine Defence League lobbied for the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to be changed. The legislation was amended in 1997 when the provision for automatic destruction of specific dog breeds was removed.
The National Canine Defence League changed its name to Dogs Trust in 2003. In 2006, Dogs Trust West London was launched in Harefield, opening the doors of the charity’s first rehoming centre in the UK capital. Dogs Trust was also a proponent of compulsory microchipping, which
became mandatory in Northern Ireland in 2012, with England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland following suit in 2016.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Dogs Trust moved much of its operations online, including the dog rehoming process and Dog School training classes. Most recently, in response to the war in Ukraine, Dogs Trust’s Project UPAW invites donors to support Ukrainian families who are fleeing their homes with their pets, often putting themselves at significant risk to care for and protect their beloved animals. You can learn more about Dogs Trust’s Project UPAW scheme by watching the attached video.