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

Charity grant opens to support UK rescues caring for victims of the pet trade

Animal welfare charity Naturewatch Foundation is inviting rescues across the UK to apply for its annual Pet Rescue Grant, which supports animals harmed by the low-welfare and illegal pet trade.

Now in its third year, the grant provides funding for the rescue and rehabilitation of dogs, cats and rabbits who have been exploited for profit. These animals often arrive into rescue with complex physical and behavioural needs, making their care particularly challenging and costly.

One grant of up to £10,000 is available to UK-registered charities and CICs with an income up to £5 million, while a mini-grant of £1,000 is open to unregistered charities and community organisations in the UK.

The funding can be used towards veterinary treatment, behavioural support, specialist equipment or training, or other essential costs directly linked to the rescue and rehabilitation of animals impacted by the low-welfare pet trade.

Natalie Harney, Campaign Manager at Naturewatch Foundation, told That's Pets: “The Pet Rescue Grant is needed now more than ever. We’re hearing from animal rescues that costs are spiralling while animals arrive with increasingly complex welfare issues, and often require extensive veterinary care and behavioural support.

“At the same time, animals continue to be exploited for profit, trapping many dogs, cats and rabbits in a cycle of suffering where they’re treated like commodities. This grant is our small way of helping rescues give those animals the care they desperately need.

"Ultimately, though, we need the public to help end the illicit pet trade by making careful choices if they decide to welcome an animal into their home, either by supporting a reputable rescue through rehoming or acting responsibly if they do consider buying.”

Naturewatch Foundation campaigns to end low-welfare and illegal breeding. Last year, the charity revealed that four in five puppies in the UK come from unknown sources, with fewer than 20% originating from breeders who are subject to regulation and inspection. 

While the charity strongly supports regulation of the puppy trade, it also remains concerned that current rules, and their enforcement, are failing to adequately protect dogs and their puppies.

In recent weeks, Naturewatch Foundation has welcomed the UK government’s commitment to ending puppy farming, but says swift action is needed to make this a reality.

The organisation has also recently supported an open letter to Pets at Home, coordinated by Rescue Not Retail, urging the company’s new CEO to stop selling live animals in stores. The call aims to reduce impulse buying of small animals, including rabbits, rodents, fish and reptiles, whose welfare and care needs are often far more complex than new owners realise.

Expressions of interest for the Pet Rescue Grant open from 24 January to 14 February 2026.

Rescues can find out more at naturewatch.org/petrescuegrant.