Today marks the start of a fresh new year and the exciting launch of our new sister charity: Spay It Forward

Here is an introduction from our Founder and Chairperson, Lynne Spencer:
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Spay It Forward UK has grown, like a puppy embryo, out of Give a Dog a Home - UK - it has taken roughly the same time to develop and now, on New Years Day 2018, it is ready to be born!

Our aspiration is for this initiative to become the foundation of something much bigger and long lasting; we hope to build it into a Trust Fund which, as a charity, can continue to grow in both size and influence for many years to come.

Those of us who set up Give a Dog a Home 4.5 years ago realise that, whilst we care passionately about rescuing dogs from the suffering of being unwanted and homeless, we can save only a small proportion. The only way to leave a lasting legacy is to prevent that terrible life from happening at all. There have been great steps towards the eradication of the stray dog problem in a few northern European countries. However, within central Europe, where Spay It Forward will focus its efforts, there are various cultural and economic factors at play which mean that the problem has worsened in recent years (although not all to do with recession - as a backpacker in Greece in the 1970's, I saw many sad sights).

How will Spay It Forward work? We will fund raise directly through any acceptable means possible! In addition, to provide a bedrock, Give a Dog a Home - UK will donate a percentage of every adoption fee to Spay It Forward, which will have its own separate identity, financial governance, website and Facebook page. Funds raised will be disbursed carefully and directly to trusted vets for spay and neuter operations or where appropriate, as small grants to approved local rescues in the countries we work in to undertake sterilisation programmes, predominantly but not exclusively of street dogs. Initially we expect to work in Greece, Romania, Cyprus and Bulgaria.

We hope to add to the range of social media as appropriate in order to perform the next function of Spay It Forward: education of younger generations who will be the movers and shakers of dog rescue into the 21st century. To this end, one place on our future Trustee Board will be filled by a young person.

More will be written, of course, as we go through our journey. Please have a look at our website and Facebook page if you wish to join us on this important mission, tell us what you think. We love to interact, as only through this will we succeed in our joint aims of reducing the suffering of homeless and abandoned street and shelter dogs.
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We are lucky to live in a country where we are not faced on a daily basis with the sight of starving street dogs. Together, let's help others not so fortunate - and Spay It Forward!

www.spayitforward.org.uk