4 minute read
Wetnose Animal Aid
Wetnose Animal Aid was set up by myself and my husband Gavin Gamby-Boulger in 2000. Sadly Gavin passed away in 2015. However I wished to carry on in his memory, so after 21 years we’re still going – supporting animals.
As former kennel owners, caring for animals has always been a part of my life. However after 13 years in operation, we decided sell our kennels and turn our attention to supporting other charities, rescue centres and animal shelters in the UK. We know of the work, time, dedication that these animal rescue centres put in – non stop 24/7.
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Wetnose Day has been a fundraising event for Wetnose Animal Aid for the last 8 years and aims to encourage schools, workplaces, vets, groomers, dog clubs, in fact everyone and everyone to Pose with their Wetnose and raise funds for dedicated rescue centers nationwide and the animals they care for.
This has enabled us to raise £1000’s for small and medium sized animal sanctuaries, ensuring food costs were covered and veterinary treatment went ahead for animals in desperate need.
Fundraisers across the country can bungee jump, host sponsored dog walks, cake sales and wear our legendary Wetnoses to raise much needed funds.
The last two years
Like for many people of course it has been extremely hard. Our events couldn’t go ahead at the beginning of 2019 and during 2020. Many people are concerned about their own finances of course too.
And knowing that dogs bought in lockdown are being abandoned is just heart breaking. More than 3.2 million pets were bought during lockdown.
During lockdown many families were buying puppies, kittens and chickens off the internet, for children to play with. Now because many people are going back to work, many dogs in particular are being dumped. Hope Rescue, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, said the number of dogs being dropped off at its rescue centre in Pontyclun was the highest in its 15-year history.
Many Centres will be full up over the winter which puts them under massive pressure and financial strain.
Celebrity Support
Yes we are so lucky that many well know people resonated with our work – and my late husband and I often went to events, filmed and interviewed celebrities like Ricky Gervais, Steve Backshall and Amanda Holden. Its wonderful they help us spread the message and help us gain coverage too.
We have been blessed with having our “Rescue Awards” in the past and have met some wonderful celebrities, such as Martin Clunes, Dame Judi Dench, Brian May, Virginia McKenna, Rick Wakeman, Peter Egan and more.
Also for our Wetnose Day event every September we have support from Ricky Gervais, Paul McCartney, Tom Hardy, Ben Fogle, Chris Packham, Paul O’Grady, Amanda Holden, and our Patrons who give us so much support.
Plant Powered Planet co-editor Karin Ridgers is our PR guru and ambassador, TV actress Vicki Michelle MBE and Lorraine Chase are wonderful ambassadors and TV presenter Wendy Turner Webster is a fantastic Patron.
2022
Wetnose Animal Aid raises funds every September on our fundraising day for the smaller Rescue Centres. This year your challenge is to walk 50 MILES this September for our Wetnose Animal Day September challenge!
You can register your pet online & help raise funds for our ANIMAL RESCUE CENTRES, or BUY a NOSE from our website:
wetnoseanimalaid.com/wetnose-day/
POSE with your pet & post on our Wetnose Animal Aid Facebook page or @ Wetnoseday Twitter page.
We are seeing what happens during 2022 and hopefully we can work on something wonderful for the animals as well as the people who work so tirelessly to give a home to abandoned and abused animals all over the UK.
Please do support us – check out our website and perhaps pose with a nose!
wetnoseanimalaid.com
Benjamin Zephaniah: Benjamin is a British writer & dub poet from Handsworth, Birmingham. Among his many works, in 2018 Benjamin released his autobiography ‘The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah’, available here.
