Dogs Trust
Encyclopedia
Dogs Trust, formerly known as the National Canine Defence League, is an animal welfare
charity
and humane society
in the United Kingdom
which specialises in the wellbeing of dog
s. The charity rehabilitates and finds new homes for dogs which have been abandoned or given up by their owners. People are allowed to sponsor a dog for £1 a week, even if they aren't actually able to rehome the dog. It also runs microchipping
and neutering
schemes in the United Kingdom
and abroad, in order to reduce the number of unwanted litters of puppies and stray
dogs put to sleep by other organisations.
Dogs Trust has 17 rehoming centres across the UK, and its first international rehoming centre opened in November 2009 in Dublin. The charity never puts a healthy dog to sleep. .
show chaired by Lady Gertrude Stock
. The NCDL campaigned against vivisection
, unnecessary muzzling and prolonged chaining, as well as providing care for stray dogs. It also campaigned against cruel treatment of dogs by railway companies, who often refused to provide water for dogs. More unusually, in the 1920s, it provided AA
wardens with pistol
s. This was because dogs and other animals were often involved in car accidents, and the pistols were provided to allow the wardens to euthanise
the animal as a last resort in the worst cases. In 1957, the NCDL campaigned against the use of the Russian space dogs
in space flight, organising a minute's silence in honour of Laika
, who died in orbit from overheating and stress. In 2003, the NCDL was rebranded as Dogs Trust.
Clarissa Baldwin, who is now Chief Executive of the charity. The slogan is a registered trademark
.
More recently, Dogs trust have adopted another slogan: "Dogs Trust Never Put a Healthy Dog Down".
Dogs Trust never euthanises healthy dogs
, however some dogs may have had a particularly bad start in life and would not be happy living in a normal home environment. The charity takes care of these dogs under its popular Sponsor a Dog scheme.
They have also created a sanctuary where selected dogs can live together free from excessive human contact.
There are currently centres in
The charity is currently building its eighteenth UK rehoming centre in Leicestershire
. Dogs Trust Loughborough aims to be the greenest animal rescue centre in the world and will run on renewable energy from its biomass boiler, green roofs, under-floor heating, solar thermal panels, photovotaic panels and a rainwater recycling system. The project will be constructed with the aim to achieve BREEAM
(BRE Environment Assessment Method) outstanding classification and the highest levels of sustainability. The charity says the facilities will significantly reduce running costs.
s after fox hunting
was banned by the Hunting Act 2004
. It also offers free neutering services in certain poorer countries and runs international training programmes for other animal welfare charities with the aim of reducing feral
populations.
In 2010 the charity introduced the term battery farming of dogs to associate the practice of puppy farming in the minds of the public with that of battery farming of chickens, and aims to educate the public as to where they can safely go to buy a ‘cruelty free dog’.
For the 2010 Waggy walks, there were 10 locations, and the walks took place on Sunday 3rd October 2010, the locations of the walks were,
|-
! Location !! Centre
|-
| Ormeau Park, Belfast || Ballymena
|-
| Coventry War Memorial Park || Kenilworth
|-
| Temple Newsam, Leeds || Leeds
|-
| Sherdley Park, Merseyside || Merseyside
|-
| Wynyard Woodland Park, Stockton-On-Tees || Darlington
|-
| Stanmer Park, Brighton || Shoreham
|-
| Tollcross Park, Glasgow || Glasgow
|-
| Finsbury Park, London || Harefield
|-
| Old Sarum Castle, Salisbury|| Salisbury
|-
| Margam Country Park, South Wales || Bridgend
|}
and dog
and honouring dogs who have greatly helped their owner, local community or society.
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
and humane society
Humane Society
A humane society may be a group that aims to stop human or animal suffering due to cruelty or other reasons, although in many countries, it is now used mostly for societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
which specialises in the wellbeing of dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s. The charity rehabilitates and finds new homes for dogs which have been abandoned or given up by their owners. People are allowed to sponsor a dog for £1 a week, even if they aren't actually able to rehome the dog. It also runs microchipping
Microchip implant (animal)
A microchip implant is an identifying integrated circuit placed under the skin of a dog, cat, horse, parrot or other animal. The chips are about the size of a large grain of rice and are based on a passive RFID technology....
and neutering
Neuter
Neuter is a Latin adjective meaning "neither", and can refer to:* Neutering, the sterilization of an animal* The neuter grammatical gender-See also:*Trap-Neuter-Return , an alternative to euthanasia for managing feral cat and dog populations...
schemes in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and abroad, in order to reduce the number of unwanted litters of puppies and stray
Stray
Stray may refer to:* A feral domestic animal; see also estray* Areas of open grassland in Harrogate and Redcar, England* Strays of York; areas of open grassland in York- Music :* Stray , an album by Aztec Camera...
dogs put to sleep by other organisations.
Dogs Trust has 17 rehoming centres across the UK, and its first international rehoming centre opened in November 2009 in Dublin. The charity never puts a healthy dog to sleep. .
History
The National Canine Defence League (NCDL) was founded in 1891 at a meeting during the first CruftsCrufts
Crufts is an annual international Championship conformation show for dogs organised and hosted by the Kennel Club, currently held every March at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England. It is the largest annual dog show in the world, as declared by Guinness World Records, and lasts...
show chaired by Lady Gertrude Stock
Lady Gertrude Stock
Lady Gertrude Georgina Stock, nee Douglas was an English aristocrat and novelist, who also wrote under the pseudonym George Douglas...
. The NCDL campaigned against vivisection
Vivisection
Vivisection is defined as surgery conducted for experimental purposes on a living organism, typically animals with a central nervous system, to view living internal structure...
, unnecessary muzzling and prolonged chaining, as well as providing care for stray dogs. It also campaigned against cruel treatment of dogs by railway companies, who often refused to provide water for dogs. More unusually, in the 1920s, it provided AA
The Automobile Association
The Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
wardens with pistol
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
s. This was because dogs and other animals were often involved in car accidents, and the pistols were provided to allow the wardens to euthanise
Animal euthanasia
Animal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...
the animal as a last resort in the worst cases. In 1957, the NCDL campaigned against the use of the Russian space dogs
Russian space dogs
During the 1950s and 1960s the USSR used a number of dogs for sub-orbital and orbital space flights to determine whether human spaceflight was feasible. In this period, the Soviet Union launched missions with passenger slots for at least 57 dogs. The actual number of dogs in space is smaller, as...
in space flight, organising a minute's silence in honour of Laika
Laika
Laika was a Soviet space dog that became the first animal to orbit the Earth – as well as the first animal to die in orbit.As little was known about the impact of spaceflight on living creatures at the time of Laika's mission, and the technology to de-orbit had not yet been developed, there...
, who died in orbit from overheating and stress. In 2003, the NCDL was rebranded as Dogs Trust.
Slogan
The charity is best known for its slogan "A Dog is for Life, not just for Christmas", which is used either in full or shortened to "A Dog is for Life" in advertising. The phrase was created to reduce the number of dogs which are abandoned as unwanted gifts, or because they are more difficult to care for than first thought. It was created in 1978 by then head of public relationsPublic relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
Clarissa Baldwin, who is now Chief Executive of the charity. The slogan is a registered trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
.
More recently, Dogs trust have adopted another slogan: "Dogs Trust Never Put a Healthy Dog Down".
Rehoming
Dogs Trust tries to rehome most dogs which it cares for and runs 17 rehoming centres across the UK and Ireland, as well as two large mobile rehoming units known as Dogmobiles. These are large vehicles fitted with air conditioned kennels and are specially designed to tour the local area, carrying a small number of dogs from nearby rehoming centres that are desperately seeking new homes.Dogs Trust never euthanises healthy dogs
No-kill Shelter
A kill shelter is an animal shelter where animals are euthanized if they are too sick to be treated or too aggressive to be suitable for adoption or due to lack of shelter space...
, however some dogs may have had a particularly bad start in life and would not be happy living in a normal home environment. The charity takes care of these dogs under its popular Sponsor a Dog scheme.
They have also created a sanctuary where selected dogs can live together free from excessive human contact.
There are currently centres in
- BallymenaBallymenaBallymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
- BridgendBridgendBridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
- CanterburyCanterburyCanterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
- DarlingtonDarlingtonDarlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
- EveshamEveshamEvesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon...
- GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
- IlfracombeIlfracombeIlfracombe is a seaside resort and civil parish on the North Devon coast, England with a small harbour, surrounded by cliffs.The parish stretches along the coast from 'The Coastguard Cottages' in Hele Bay toward the east and 4 miles along The Torrs to Lee Bay toward the west...
- KenilworthKenilworthKenilworth is a town in central Warwickshire, England. In 2001 the town had a population of 22,582 . It is situated south of Coventry, north of Warwick and northwest of London....
- LeedsLeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
- HarefieldHarefieldHarefield is a village in the London Borough of Hillingdon in northwest London, England. It is situated on top of a hill, northwest of Charing Cross, near the Greater London boundary with Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the north...
- MerseysideMerseysideMerseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
- NewburyNewbury-In the United Kingdom:* Newbury, Berkshire**Newbury **Newbury Racecourse**Newbury F.C.**A.F.C. Newbury**Newbury R.F.C.**Newbury Building Society**Newbury Weekly News**Newbury College**Newbury railway station...
- RodenRoden, ShropshireRoden is a village in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England.It is located on the B5062 road, 1 mile southwest of High Ercall. Local transport links are provided by Arriva in the form of bus route 822 to Wellington....
- SalisburySalisburySalisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, this is also where the Dogs Trust sanctuary is located - ShorehamShorehamShoreham is the name of several different places:* Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, UK** Shoreham 1974–1997** New Shoreham 1295–1885* Shoreham, Kent, UK* Shoreham, Michigan, USA...
- SnettertonSnettertonSnetterton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is located some north-east of the town of Thetford and south-west of the city of Norwich....
- West CalderWest CalderWest Calder is a village in West Lothian, Scotland, located 4 miles west of Livingston. The village was an important centre for the oil shale economy in the 19th and 20th Centuries. West Calder has its own railway station. It is also has the most northerly centre of the Dogs Trust, closely followed...
The charity is currently building its eighteenth UK rehoming centre in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
. Dogs Trust Loughborough aims to be the greenest animal rescue centre in the world and will run on renewable energy from its biomass boiler, green roofs, under-floor heating, solar thermal panels, photovotaic panels and a rainwater recycling system. The project will be constructed with the aim to achieve BREEAM
BREEAM
BRE Environmental Assessment Method is a voluntary measurement rating for green buildings that was established in the UK by the Building Research Establishment . Since its inception it has since grown in scope and geographically, being exported in various guises across the globe...
(BRE Environment Assessment Method) outstanding classification and the highest levels of sustainability. The charity says the facilities will significantly reduce running costs.
Campaigns
Dogs Trust has campaigned against docking of tails and unnecessary euthanasia, such as that carried out on foxhoundFoxhound
A foxhound is a type of large hunting hound. Foxhounds hunt in packs and, like all scent hounds, have a strong sense of smell. They are used in hunts for foxes, hence the name. When out hunting they are followed usually on horseback and will travel several miles to catch their target. These dogs...
s after fox hunting
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
was banned by the Hunting Act 2004
Hunting Act 2004
The Hunting Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The effect of the Act is to outlaw hunting with dogs in England and Wales from 18 February 2005...
. It also offers free neutering services in certain poorer countries and runs international training programmes for other animal welfare charities with the aim of reducing feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
populations.
In 2010 the charity introduced the term battery farming of dogs to associate the practice of puppy farming in the minds of the public with that of battery farming of chickens, and aims to educate the public as to where they can safely go to buy a ‘cruelty free dog’.
Waggy Walks
Dogs Trust has an annual charity event held at locations across the UK, where members of the public can complete either a 5km or 10km walk around a course in an area which is usually close to the rehoming centre for that location.For the 2010 Waggy walks, there were 10 locations, and the walks took place on Sunday 3rd October 2010, the locations of the walks were,
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- {| class="wikitable"
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|-
! Location !! Centre
|-
| Ormeau Park, Belfast || Ballymena
|-
| Coventry War Memorial Park || Kenilworth
|-
| Temple Newsam, Leeds || Leeds
|-
| Sherdley Park, Merseyside || Merseyside
|-
| Wynyard Woodland Park, Stockton-On-Tees || Darlington
|-
| Stanmer Park, Brighton || Shoreham
|-
| Tollcross Park, Glasgow || Glasgow
|-
| Finsbury Park, London || Harefield
|-
| Old Sarum Castle, Salisbury|| Salisbury
|-
| Margam Country Park, South Wales || Bridgend
|}
Dogs Trust Honours
In 2008 the charity created Dogs Trust Honours, an annual 'doggy Pride of Britain' awards ceremony celebrating the relationship between humanHuman
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
and dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
and honouring dogs who have greatly helped their owner, local community or society.
Rehoming Figures
| Year | Dogs Cared For | Dogs Rehomed | Dogs Reunited With Owners | Dogs Passed Away / Put To Sleep | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 15,886 | 13,909 | 178 | 226 | |
| 2008 | 16,238 | 14,169 | 190 | 260 | |
| 2007 | 16,177 | 14,022 | 185 | 334 | |
| 2006 | 15,162 | 12,993 | 192 | 215 | |
| 2005 | 13,506 | 11,563 | 168 | 273 |
See also
- Cruelty to AnimalsCruelty to animalsCruelty to animals, also called animal abuse or animal neglect, is the infliction of suffering or harm upon non-human animals, for purposes other than self-defense. More narrowly, it can be harm for specific gain, such as killing animals for food or for their fur, although opinions differ with...
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsAmerican Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsThe American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing cruelty towards animals...
- Battersea Dogs and Cats HomeBattersea Dogs and Cats HomeBattersea Dogs & Cats Home is the UK's oldest and most famous home for dogs and cats and is situated in the Battersea area of London, England. It is financed by voluntary donations with an income of over £12.2 million in 2009.-History:...
- The Blue CrossThe Blue CrossThe Blue Cross is a registered animal welfare charity in the United Kingdom, founded in 1897 as Our Dumb Friends League. The charity provides support for pet owners who cannot afford private veterinary treatment, helps to find homes for unwanted animals, and educates the public in the...
- National Animal Welfare TrustNational Animal Welfare TrustThe National Animal Welfare Trust is a animal welfare charity founded in 1971, which operates no-kill rescue centres for animals and birds. It currently has branches in Watford, Berkshire, Essex, Somerset and Cornwall; and caters for a variety of animals, both pets and wildlife...
- PDSAPDSAThe People's Dispensary for Sick Animals is a veterinary charity in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1917 by Maria Dickin to provide care for sick and injured animals of the poor...
- Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsRoyal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsThe Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a New Zealand charitable society who work to provide food and shelter for abandoned and neglected animals and to promote humane treatment of animals.- History :The New Zealand SPCA was formed by settlers from England in...
- Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsRoyal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsThe Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charity in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. In 2009 the RSPCA investigated 141,280 cruelty complaints and collected and rescued 135,293 animals...
- DogsBlog.comDogsBlog.comDogsBlog.com is a dog rescue website founded by Ryan O'Meara and Kim Bruce, and set up by K9 Media Ltd. It was launched in January 2007, and has since found new homes for over 6,700 dogs via the website which provides a free service for 212 different rescue shelters.-Milestones and...