Record 161 Rescues Apply as Grants Awarded to Tackle UK Pet Trade Crisis

Rescues in Oxfordshire, Manchester and Kent secure funding following unprecedented demand.

A record 161 animal rescue organisations applied for support from Naturewatch Foundation’s 2026 Pet Rescue Grant, highlighting the growing pressure facing charities dealing with the realities of the UK’s low-welfare and illegal pet trade.

Three organisations - The One Wish Dog Foundation (in Oxfordshire/Gloucestershire), Tiny Paws MCR (in Manchester), and The Neuter Project (in Kent) have now been awarded a share of £11,000 in funding to support urgent veterinary care, rehabilitation and rehoming.

The grant supports small organisations working directly with animals affected by the low-welfare and illegal pet trade, helping rescues to continue their vital work in a time of financial strain.

A lifeline for rescue dogs in crisis in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire

The One Wish Dog Foundation, a foster-based rescue operating across Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, has been awarded £6,000 to support four rescued dogs.

Founded in 2025, the charity has already taken in 36 dogs, many of them strays or urgent welfare cases. It also provides emergency foster placements for dogs whose owners are facing crisis situations, including homelessness and domestic abuse.

The funding will cover veterinary treatment for four dogs, including Tally, who requires leg surgery, and three abandoned cockapoos, Charlie, Bonnie and Ruby (pictured), believed to have been abandoned by a local puppy farm.

Founder of The One Wish Dog Foundation, Jenna Jones, told That's Pets: “For dogs like Bonnie, Ruby, Charlie and Tally, who endured fear, exploitation and neglect before arriving at One Wish, this funding is truly life-changing.”

The rescue will host a volunteer day on 25 April 2026 at Chipping Norton Town Hall for anyone interested in supporting its important work.

Supporting high-welfare rabbit rescue in Manchester

Tiny Paws MCR, a Manchester-based small animal rescue, has received £4,000 to support its Rabbit Refuge programme.

Since being founded in 2019, the organisation has focused on rescuing and rehabilitating rabbits and rodents, while promoting high welfare standards and responsible adoption across Greater Manchester.

The grant will help approximately 14 rabbits receive essential veterinary care, including neutering and vaccinations, before being rehomed into carefully vetted homes. The charity also provides adopters with lifelong support.

Founder, Suzi Wright, told That's Pets: “Thank you so much to Naturewatch Foundation for awarding us this amazing grant!”

Volunteer vets preventing unwanted litters in Kent

The Neuter Project, based in Kent, has been awarded a £1,000 mini-grant to support its volunteer-led veterinary work.

The initiative provides free neutering services to independent rescues and sanctuaries, helping to reduce unwanted litters and ease pressure on rescue centre funds.

To date, the project has neutered over 1,600 animals and supported around 50 rescues nationwide, saving them more than £250,000 in costs.

The funding will go towards essential consumables, enabling the team to continue offering free procedures that could help dozens of animals.

Founder, Angie Hamp, told us: “This means so much to us. The money is equivalent to around two months' running cost for us. To give you an idea of how far this will go £1,000 will neuter 50 cats, 10 to 20 dogs or around 30 rabbits and guinea pigs.”

Growing pressure on local rescues

Naturewatch Foundation received a record 161 expressions of interest for this year’s grant, reflecting the increasing strain on animal rescue organisations across the country. The campaigning charity is dedicated to ending animal cruelty and improving the lives of animals through education and advocacy.

By supporting local groups in Oxfordshire, Manchester and Kent, the charity aims to deliver meaningful impact within communities, while tackling the wider issue of the low-welfare pet trade through its national campaigning. Find out more at naturewatch.org.

Strong Cross-Party Support for “Purple Paw” Campaign to Protect Animals and People

National initiative invites people across the UK to share stories of the life-changing bond they share with their animals.

MPs from across the political spectrum came together in a powerful show of unity to support a new campaign highlighting the critical link between animal welfare and human safety.

The “Purple Paw” event, hosted by Cat Eccles MP, brought together MPs from four political parties alongside members of the House of Lords. The event also welcomed Alex Davies-Jones MP, Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, demonstrating growing government engagement with the issue.

The event marked the introduction of two key initiatives:

Purple Paw – a campaign celebrating the strength of the human–animal bond and raising awareness of its role in safeguarding

Act to Protect – a practical framework designed to help protect both people and animals by recognising the links between abuse, coercive control, and animal harm

Protect Animals Protect People

Purple Paw forms part of Naturewatch Foundation’s ‘Protect Animals, Protect People’ campaign, which highlights the link between animal abuse and domestic violence. With around 60% of UK households sharing their lives with a pet, ‘Purple Paw’ aims to spark a nationwide conversation about the value of the human–animal bond and why it deserves greater recognition and protection.

The newly launched Act to Protect report sets out practical cross-government recommendations to strengthen collaboration between animal welfare and safeguarding agencies, helping to ensure families and their pets are kept safe together.

Research shows threats or actual harm to pets are often used as a tool of coercive control in abusive households. Yet, animal welfare and human safeguarding systems operate separately.

Naturewatch Foundation is calling for stronger joined-up policy approaches that recognise the vital role pets play in family life, and the risks families may face when that bond is exploited.

The campaign is supported by patron Wendy Turner Webster, who has spoken about the comfort and stability her own animals have provided during challenging periods in her life.

A Campaign of Hope

By sharing uplifting stories of companionship and resilience, Purple Paw aims to demonstrate how caring for animals also supports human wellbeing, and how protecting pets ultimately helps protect people too.

Supporters who take part will receive a purple paw window or car decal to display in their communities, creating a visible symbol of solidarity and support for the human–animal bond across the country.

Mark Randell, Campaign Manager at Naturewatch Foundation, told That's Pets: “Animals are an integral part of our relationships, families and communities. The bond we share with them brings companionship, comfort and support, while helping people develop compassion and improving wellbeing. 

"I'd like to thank the MPs who attended our Purple Paw event, and invite those who were unable to join us to contact us to learn how they can support the 60% of households across the UK who share their lives with a pet.”

As stories and images are shared from across the UK, Naturewatch Foundation hopes Purple Paw will become a recognisable symbol of connection.

Members of the public can share their story and upload a photo here 

https://action.naturewatch.org/purple-paw-celebrate-human-animal-bond.

https://www.naturewatch.org

That's Food and Drink: Would You Feed Your Family 'Meat' That’s Only 4% M...

That's Food and Drink: Would You Feed Your Family 'Meat' That’s Only 4% M...: Stand in the pet food aisle for five minutes and you’ll see packets covered in pictures of juicy chicken, tender beef, and flaky salmon.  Th...

CMA Vet Report Fails Grieving Pet Owners by Ignoring What Pet Cremation Actually Means

The Association of Private Pet Cemeteries and Crematoria (APPCC) has welcomed the positive aspects of the Competition and Markets Authority's final report on veterinary services for household pets, while warning that the remedies remain incomplete unless they are accompanied by clearer service-definition standards for pet cremation.

The APPCC supports the report's emphasis on clearer consumer choice, greater transparency in ownership, and the requirement that veterinary practices inform pet owners that they may arrange directly with a crematorium. 

It also welcomes the requirement that cremation pricing be published and that owners receive clearer written information before making decisions.

However, the Association says that price transparency on its own is not enough if the market continues to treat very different services as interchangeable. In practice, what is sold as an individual or communal cremation can vary significantly between providers in terms of handling, storage, transportation, the cremation process itself, and the final destination of the ashes.

APPCC members work to a published consumer code that treats cremation as a complete bereavement service, not merely a disposal process. The Association says that, without stronger minimum definitions and disclosures across the sector, grieving owners may still believe they are comparing like with like when they are not.

Kevin Spurgeon, Director of the APPCC, told That's Pets: “Price transparency alone does not protect grieving pet owners, because price says nothing about the standard or nature of the service being provided. Services described in similar terms may differ greatly in collection times, handling, transport, cremation process and the final resting place of ashes. Those differences matter enormously to families, and they should be explained clearly before any decision is made.”

The Association is urging the CMA and policymakers to build on the final report by requiring clearer plain-English disclosures about how pets are handled, stored and transported; what individual cremation and communal cremation mean operationally; where communal ashes go; and whether a service is being sold as bereavement aftercare or, in substance, as a disposal service.

The APPCC says this would strengthen the CMA's consumer-protection aims, improve fair competition, and allow pet owners to make informed decisions at one of the most sensitive moments they face.

What APPCC is calling for

Clear operational definitions of individual cremation and communal cremation.

Written disclosure of handling, storage and transportation practices.

Transparency about the final destination of communal ashes.

Clear disclosure where a service is offered as bereavement aftercare and where it is, in substance, a disposal service.

Recognition of robust sector standards, including codes that cover dignity, care and consumer protection throughout the whole process.

https://appcc.org.uk

New Animal Rescue And Rehoming Centre In South East London

The Celia Hammond Animal Trust has embarked on a project to build a dedicated, and much-needed, rescue and rehoming centre adjacent to its existing veterinary clinic in Lewisham, South East London.

And on Saturday 11 April 2026 the charity will be holding a special Open Day in Lewisham for members of the public to learn more about the project and what it does.

“Please join us at 233-235 Lewisham Way, London, SE4 1UY, on the afternoon of 11 April 2026 for a guided tour of our existing veterinary clinic and learn about our plans for a new animal rescue and rehoming centre in nearby Friendly Street. You will also have the opportunity to meet some of our rescued cats,” Naomi Sheen, Trustee, told That's Pets. 

“Whether you're already a supporter of our charity or are interested in our work, this is a great opportunity to find out more about the Celia Hammond Animal Trust.”

Once operational, Celia Hammond Animal Trust’s new rescue and rehoming centre in Friendly Street will secure the future of the charity’s Lewisham hub for decades to come.

Ziggy and Ridley

The Open Day is a ticketed event with guided tours scheduled throughout the afternoon - admission is free and donations of cat food are welcomed. Tickets can be booked online at https://celiahammondanimaltrust-lewisham.eventbrite.co.uk.

Information on the Celia Hammond Animal Trust Rescue and Rehoming Centre Funding Appeal can be found at https://bit.ly/CHAT-rehoming-centre.

Founded in 1986, Celia Hammond Animal Trust is a UK charity which operates across London and the South East helping stray, abandoned, and unwanted animals, and provides essential low-cost veterinary care to pets belonging to low-income owners.

With veterinary clinics and rescue centres located in Canning Town and Lewisham (London), and an animal sanctuary and rehoming centre in Brede (East Sussex), Celia Hammond Animal Trust seeks homes for rescued animals in London, East and West Sussex, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, and Surrey.

• www.celiahammond.org

• @celiahammondanimaltrust

• Registered charity number 293787

East London Charity Vet To Pound The City’s Streets To Raise Funds To Help Animals In Need

Celia Hammond Animal Trust Vet, David Murphy, will be putting his best foot forward on Sunday 26 April 2026 when he takes part in the London Marathon to raise funds to help improve the lives of animals in need.

“Working on the frontline of animal welfare in East London, I regularly treat abandoned, feral, and stray animals, in addition to providing urgent and routine low-cost veterinary care to pets belonging to low-income owners,” David Murphy, Vet at Celia Hammond Animal Trust’s Canning Town branch told That's Pets.

Celia Hammond Animal Trust responds to calls from the public, local authorities, and police, and provides an essential service collecting and treating strays as well as animals from backstreet breeders, multi-cat households, and welfare situations. The charity’s work is only made possible thanks to funding and donations from generous animal lovers.

Over the last 40 years, Celia Hammond Animal Trust has…

neutered over 460,000 cats and dogs, and prevented countless animals from being born into a life of suffering on the streets

administered more than half a million vaccinations

provided nearly half a million low-cost veterinary consultations

performed over 130,000 veterinary surgeries, many of them life-saving

rehomed over 73,500 animals

“I started running at parkrun a couple of years ago and soon discovered that I had no talent for running whatsoever, but I really enjoyed it. The London Marathon is going to be a brutal challenge for me as I’ve never run even close to 26 miles, but I am absolutely committed to completing the distance in order to raise as much money as possible for the Celia Hammond Animal Trust,” said Murphy.

To support David Murphy on his marathon challenge, and help Celia Hammond Animal Trust continue its mission of caring for animals in most need through life-saving surgery, vaccination and neutering clinics, low-cost veterinary consultations, and the rehoming of rescued animals, please donate online at https://gofund.me/4332780b9

celiahammond.org

Are you Risking Your Dog's life? 3.5 million Owners Are. Here's How

Would you stick your head out of the window?

An estimated 3.5 million dogs are in danger on UK roads, when owners drive with their dog’s head sticking out of the car window.

Safer Inside, a dog safety campaign launched today at Crufts by Tavo Pets, Vet Surgeon Dr Scott Miller and Dog Behaviourist Adem Fehmi, reveals 26% of UK motorists who own a dog admit to travelling with their dog in this critically unsafe way. The campaign aims to raise awareness and change behaviour.

Dr Scott Miller told That's Pets: “It’s a familiar sight on the UK’s roads, but a dog with its head sticking out of the car window, is at risk of eye-abrasions, debris or worse, jumping or falling from the moving car. 

"Tavo’s research revealed why owners are putting their dog at risk and the most shocking to me was a combined 48% weren’t even thinking about the welfare of their dog at all. 28% do it because they think it looks cute, and 20% because pedestrians enjoy it. That’s an estimated 3.5 million dogs being put in direct danger purely for ‘entertainment’.”

The Tavo Safer Inside research also revealed of those who allow their dog to travel in this way, 71% claim the dog enjoys it, 70% do it to give the dog fresh air and 43% believe it puts the dog at ease.

Expert dog behaviourist Adem Fehmi explains why this might not be so. “Dog behaviour is complex. Whilst some owners think a dog panting, with its head out of the window, is a sign they're enjoying the fresh air, panting can in fact be a sign of stress. Sitting inside a crash-tested carrier, inside the vehicle is the best option for creating security and a calm, happy dog.”

Lucy MacLeod, Borough Commander, Hammersmith & Fulham, London Fire Brigade offers a sobering perspective from the emergency services: “As firefighters we attend road traffic collisions across the country every day, and we unfortunately see the consequences when pets aren’t safely restrained in vehicles. As a dog handler and rescue specialist, I understand more than most how important it is to keep dogs properly secured when travelling.

“When we arrive at incidents the environment is loud, chaotic and stressful. Even the calmest well-trained dog can panic or react unpredictably around flashing lights, noise and unfamiliar people.

"This creates additional risks for emergency responders and members of the public alike. Keeping dogs safely secured inside the vehicle helps protect them, protects the people travelling with them, and allows us to carry out rescues safely.”

Tavo is leading safe pet travel with its range of occupant crash‑tested pet car seats, carriers and crates. Meeting the latest R129 United Nations ECE child restraint standards, these car seats use the vehicle’s integrated ISOFIX system to prevent rotation and provide maximum protection in the event of a collision.

The Safer Inside campaign builds on Tavo’s global initiative, Imagine the Impact, which calls for greater awareness of the dangers of unsecured pets in vehicles.

https://tavopets.com/uk