REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
and
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
for
PRO DOGS DIRECT
Registered Charity Number 1115647
2023/2024
E G DUNN & CO Financial Accountants
PRO DOGS DIRECT
LEGAL & ADMINSTRATIVE DETAILS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH SEPTEMBER 2024
CHARITY NAME & NUMBER
Pro Dogs Direct Registered Charity Number 1115647
CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESS
4 Cole Avenue Aldershot Hampshire GU11 1AN
TRUSTEES Pat Bryant Donna Woodford Johanna Morris
PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS
BANKERS
HSBC plc 149 Rushey Green Catford London SE6 4BQ
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
E G Dunn & Co Financial Accountants 109 Blackfen Road Sidcup Kent DA15 8PZ
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PRO DOGS DIRECT
INDEX
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Trustees Annual Report | 4 |
| Report of the Independent Examiner | 9 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 10 |
| Balance Sheet | 11 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 12 |
We recently adopted Woody from Pro Dogs Direct. The whole experience from start to finish was brilliant. Applications are long and we did apply for a couple different dogs but I was pleased that this process is so professional and vetting is totally committed to the needs of each individual dog! Woody’s foster carer is just incredible and the after care and advice I have received has been perfect. I really cannot fault this charity at all!
Thank you so much
Lisa—January 2024
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PRO DOGS DIRECT - TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
The Trustees are pleased to present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 30th September 2024
Constitution and Objects
Pro Dogs Direct is an unincorporated body. Our key charitable objectives are to save ‘at risk’ dogs, to care for them, provide them with any care and/or medical treatment they need and ultimately to find them loving, happy, safe, and secure new homes where they can live their lives as cherished pets. Since launching in 2006, we have cared for, and rehomed over 10,500 dogs (along with a smattering of cats, reptiles, rodents and more).
Alongside our rehoming activities, we have a further objective of providing education, advice & guidance to promote the positive welfare of dogs with the aim of ensuring that people can keep their dogs, look after them appropriately, and be fully able to enjoy owning them.
From the outset, our aim has been to avoid the need for dogs to be kept in kennels, instead placing them in family homes with volunteer foster-carers whilst we seek new, permanent homes for them. This ’direct’ from ‘home to home’ approach is much better for the dogs, and is vitally instrumental in helping them to transition more easily into their new adoptive homes. Most important of all, we know from our own experience and industry statistics that this ‘direct’ rehoming model, coupled with our stringent adoption procedures leads to a much lower ’failed adoption` rate which is better for the dogs and for their adopters.
Pro Dogs Direct operates a non-destruction policy, the only exceptions being when independent expert advice taken indicates welfare concerns for any dog. As a charity, we are proud to be a full member of the Association of Dogs & Cats Homes and to have been assessed by them as demonstrating high quality welfare and operational standards in all aspects of our work.
Charitable Activities, Outcomes and Public Benefit
Since the Covid pandemic we and other rescues charities, continue to face massive demand for rescue spaces. We have seen owner surrender requests more than quadruple along with a substantial increase in the number of requests from local authorities to take in unclaimed strays and breeders wanting to relinquish no longer wanted ex-breeding dogs. Despite the pandemic fast becoming a distant memory for most, its’ legacy continues to cause stress and strain for rescues including our own who are struggling to meet the continuing high demand for spaces.
As a rescue we aim to help the dogs that need us most. Many of those that came into our care during the year had health issues requiring medical intervention and a longer stay in rescue whilst they recuperated. Others came with behavioural issues and needed retraining to fully prepare them for a successful adoption. In light of this, whilst the average time spent in rescue for more ’straightforward’ dogs was around 54 days, others were with us for much more substantial periods of time. Our longest stayer Zuma the Rottweiler (right) was with us for two years and two days before finally being adopted in February 2024.
We do get some dogs that due to age or ongoing health issues, cannot be adopted and these stay with us as ‘long term fosters’ , being cared for and treated as a much loved pet for the remainder of their lives in one of our foster homes. During the 2023-2024 accounting year we had nine such ‘resident’ dogs.
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ee Zuma a
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In theory as a foster based rescue, there is no limit to the number of dogs we can help. In reality we can still only take dogs that we have a space available for and with a decline in the number of foster homes available it remains a challenging environment in which to fulfil our charitable aims. To alleviate some of the pressure, one of the key changes made during the year was the introduction of our Foster2Adopt programme. The programme enables us to rescue and rehome more dogs by placing dogs in foster with individuals that are serious about wanting to adopt. Once a dog has been in foster with those on the programme for a couple of weeks, they can decide whether to permanently adopt it or simply continue to foster until another adopter is found. Although introduced quite late in the financial year, we immediately saw positive results and look forward to developing the programme’s success further in future years.
Despite the challenges faced, we are pleased to report that during the operating year we were able to rescue 297 dogs (and three cats). We were also able to support a number of people who were considering surrendering their dogs by providing them with advice and guidance to enable them to keep their dogs. Where we were unable to provide rescue spaces we supported owners with advice, guidance and signposting to help them find suitable spaces in other rescues, as well as directly securing spaces for twelve dogs during the year from our own network of contacts.
Looking after our dogs in foster homes means we can get to know them well and gain valuable insights about their character, needs, likes and dislikes which can, in turn, be shared with their adopters to help smooth the transition into their new homes.
We have an open application process to ensure that each dog doesn’t just get a new home, they get the best new home with the applicant that we believe is best able to meet the dog’s specific needs. All adoptions are subject to a throughout home and ID check as well as a monitored, supervised ‘meet and greet’ to confirm the match with the dog before the adoption is finalised.
Whilst we are often criticised for setting very strict rehoming criteria, we are confident that it is this attention to detail and the desire to put the dogs needs first that has led to us having a very low failed adoption rate. We know that this is better for the dogs and, ultimately, for those that are chosen to adopt them.
CASE STUDY
Name: June
Breed: Cocker Spaniel
Age on arrival: Six years & two months
Time in rescue: 168 Days
June was in a terrible condition when she came to us from a breeder. She had a very severe, difficult to treat, infection in her ears which were running with blood and puss leaving the poor girl in so much pain. She needed months of vet visits, swabs and continuous new medication to treat and cure her infection.
To add to her load, June was also very overweight due to poor diet and had rotten teeth. We changed her to a high quality diet and gave her a full dental treatment.
June was so nervous when she arrived, she had always lived outside being bred from repeatedly so knew nothing of home life and what it is to be a pet. She had had very little human interaction and it took lots of work and patience from her foster carer to help her adjust and be ready to be adopted.
She took great comfort from the other dogs in her foster home so we looked for an adopter with other dogs of their own to give her confidence and further her ‘education’.
Since leaving us her adopters have told us she has continued to thrive, and with the help of her new canine pals has learned how to become a ‘proper spaniel’ including developing a love of muddy Puddles!!
She is now wonderfully settled in her forever home and enjoying life as a happy, fit, healthy and very much loved pet
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Part of our mission is to influence a reduction in the number of dogs that might end up in rescue. We do this directly by ensuring that all dogs of breeding age that come to us are neutered before being adopted, and for those that may be too young whilst with us, they are adopted on a contract that requires neutering to be undertaken when they reach an appropriate age. We follow up these contracts to secure proof of neutering and offer the procedure at a reduced cost via our own vets.
CASE STUDY
Name: Scrumpy Breed: Welsh Terrier Age on arrival: Four weeks Time in rescue: 94 Days
We use our social media platforms and e-newsletters to promote responsible ownership and provide advice and guidance for owners to help them care for their pets in the most appropriate way. We also provide similar guidance in response to email enquiries where appropriate to do so.
When possible, we also attend local dog shows and other events to promote adoption and dog welfare.
Organisation
The Trustees meet regularly to review funds available, the recruitment of volunteers required to help with the fostering and rehoming of dogs coming into our care, together with any other pertinent operational matters. Day to day operating arrangements and decision making powers are delegated to Donna Woodford.
Volunteers & Supporters
During the year we had a team of around 70 volunteer foster carers who looked after our dogs 24/7 in their own homes whilst we sought permanent adopters. Collectively our volunteer foster carers provided 23,158 days of care for rescued dogs during the year. Our fostering team are supported by a volunteer coordinator.
In addition to our foster carers, we have a small team of admin based volunteers who look after all the ‘behind’ the scenes processes from responding to emails, coordinating and undertaking home checks, looking after social media and our website, taking care of book keeping and other administrative needs, running our online shop, transporting our dogs, following up on adoptions, and so much more.
Scrumpy came to us as a tiny puppy with a terrible head tilt (see above). We hand reared and weaned him and although he was eating and happy, his head remained at completely the wrong angle which made walking and playing very difficult for him.
We knew we must do all we could to help him and arranged for him to be seen at a specialist vets. He had multiple checks, tests and medication. Eventually it was discovered that he had a really deep infection that required lots of further treatment,
Thankfully, this was successful and as you can see in the images below, Scrumpy is now a very handsome, healthy and happy chap loving life in his forever home.
Our volunteers enable us to achieve all we do for our dogs and the Trustees wish to thank them for their help and support in ensuring that the dogs are cared for and that the charity runs smoothly on a day to day basis.
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We were particularly devastated to say goodbye to two of our long standing volunteers who tragically passed away suddenly during the year: Tina Wilkinson and Melissa Sardina.
CASE STUDY
Name: Dash
Breed: Lurcher
Both were amazing champions for and dedicated friends of Pro Dogs and we continue to feel their loss and miss them every day.
Age on arrival: Six months Time in rescue: 197 Days
We feel privileged to have benefited from donations made in memory of Tina, Melissa and others over the year and thank those that have given in this way for honouring their friends and family members by enabling us to continue the work that meant so much to many of them.
The Trustees also wish to express their gratitude to all our other individual supporters whose generous donations over the year have enabled us to continue to rescue, care for and rehome dogs in need.
We are also indebted to our larger charitable and corporate donors whose contributions both in financial and ‘gift in kind’ terms enable us to achieve so much more for the dogs that need us.
We would particularly like to recognise and give thanks for the contributions of :
-
The Pets at Home Foundation,
-
The Association of Dogs & Cats Homes (ADCH)
-
Animal Friends Insurance
It never ceases to amaze us that, as a nation of animal lovers, so many people simply abandon their unwanted dogs rather than taking a responsible approach to finding them a new home.
- Pet Plan Insurance
Sadly, too many of these dogs end up as strays—the ‘lucky’ ones like Dash, are found and usually taken to a local authority pound. Dash was just a young lad when he came to us via one such dog pound after being found as a stray.
- Broadway Barks
The support of all of the above, and so many others, has made such a difference to us and the dogs that we have been able to support this year.
We have no idea why this adorable lad was abandoned. He was understandably a little nervous when he first arrived but settled quickly in his foster home and soon adjusted into a lovely, bouncy, friendly boy.
Finally, the Trustees would like to thank those Vets and practices that support us and provide such invaluable care to all our dogs, often at discounted rates.
Despite this he was with us for some time before finally being lucky enough to find a fabulous forever home where he is settled, safe and completely adored.
Planning for the Future
Maintaining operations through and beyond the Covid 19 Pandemic has been a massive learning curve but enabled us to see that innovation and creativity can massively enhance our reach and impact. To that end, we continue to plan and save for further enhancement of the Charity’s operations with the aim of developing our own rescue and rehabilitation centre which will increase our ability to support those dogs in most need but with the least opportunities currently
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available to them.
We believe that realising this ambition will create a wider positive impact for dogs in need, our local community and for individuals within that community.
We are regularly asked if we can provide work experience and/or volunteering opportunities for people of all ages—sadly as a foster based rescue this is not something we can offer. Having our own centre with on-site medical and rehab facilities not only enhance our work with dogs but will also provide opportunities for those wishing to develop their skills. It will also enable us to welcome visitors on a wider scale, develop further services in collaboration with other charities to include experience based training and employability programmes. It will also allow us to offer hands on dog training, education and other community support and volunteering options.
The achievement of these plans will come at substantial cost and to that end we have designated £240k of our unrestricted reserves towards that achievement. We have prepared an outline phased business plan to be shared with major donors and others with the aim of gaining the momentum and funds that will enable us to move towards the realisation of our plans.
We anticipate an overall funding need for the initial development phase being in the region of £1m. As a small charity with limited time for delivering beyond our core aims and objectives, achievement will be challenging but we know that being able to implement our plans will enable us to deliver positive outcomes for so many more dogs and people.
Achievement of our plans will continue to strengthen our core aims and operations and create even stronger foundations on which to build for the future. We are excited for that future and all that it will allow us to do for our dogs and community.
Reserves Policy
It is our policy to maintain unrestricted funds, which are the free reserves of the charity, at a level that equates to approximately six months unrestricted expenditure. This provides sufficient funds to cover management and administration support costs and to respond to 'every day' and emergency spending requirements. Unrestricted reserves funds were maintained at this level throughout the year.
Risk Management
The trustees have examined the major strategic, business and operational risks being faced and confirm that systems have been established to enable regular reports to be produced so that the necessary steps can be taken to lessen the risks.
We confirm that the accounts comply with the Trust Deed and the Statement of Recommended Practice 2005, Accounting and Reporting by Charities.
Signed on behalf of Pro Dogs Direct (1115647).
Donna Woodford
24th July, 2025
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PRO DOGS DIRECT
REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
I report on the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 30th September 2024, which are set out on pages 10 to 12.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
requirement of Section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the Act) does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts (under section 43 of the Act), to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners (under section 43(7)(b) of the Act) and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
-
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements
-
to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 41 of the Act; and
-
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the Act
have not been met; or
(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
DAVID FOWLER E G DUNN & CO Financial Accountants
8 Fairway Bexleyheath Kent DA6 8LU
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| PRO DOGS DIRECT | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES | ||||||||
| FOR THE YEAR ENDED30THSEPTTEMBER | ||||||||
| Unrestricted | Unrestricted | |||||||
| Funds | Funds | |||||||
| 2023 | ||||||||
| £ | £ | |||||||
| INCOMING RESOURCES | ||||||||
| **Incoming resources from generated funds ** | ||||||||
| Adoption Donations | 73,472 | 100,305 | ||||||
| TradingIncome (Shop,Auction) | 620 | 684 | ||||||
| Grants &Major Donations | 4,006 | 3,130 | ||||||
| Corporate &Partnerships | 12,607 | 13,396 | ||||||
| IndividualGiving &Philanthropy | 36,441 | 44,070 | ||||||
| Events &AppealsIncome | 26,475 | 22,842 | ||||||
| GiftAid | 6,475 | 3,202 | ||||||
| LegacyIncome | 2,322 | 15,444 | ||||||
| Value ofGiftsin Kind | 2,037 | 5,303 | ||||||
| MiscellaneousIncome | 149 | 632 | ||||||
| Bank Interest | 6,228 | 3,433 | ||||||
| TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES | 170,832 | 212,442 | ||||||
| RESOURCES EXPENDED | ||||||||
| Charitable activities | ||||||||
| Animal Care & Welfare | 62,982 | 74,675 | ||||||
| Staff & Volunteer Costs | 59,224 | 57,017 | ||||||
| Income Generation Costs | 8,156 | 7,169 | ||||||
| 130,362 | 138,861 | |||||||
| Governance costs | ||||||||
| Core Operating Costs | 2,592 | 2,458 | ||||||
| Overhead running costs | 2,305 | 2,062 | ||||||
| Repairs & Maintenance Costs | 2,827 | 1,442 | ||||||
| Miscellaneous Other Costs | 896 | 1,401 | ||||||
| Loss on disposal | 2,276 | |||||||
| Depreciation | 5,070 | 3,783 | ||||||
| 13,690 | 13,421 | |||||||
| Total resources expended | 144,052 | 152,282 | ||||||
| Net incoming resources | 26,780 | 60,160 | ||||||
| Reconciliation of Funds | ||||||||
| Total funds brought forward | 343,786 | 283,626 | ||||||
| Total funds carried forward | 370,566 | 343,786 | ||||||
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| PRO DOGS DIRECT | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BALANCE SHEET | |||||||||
| AS AT 30TH SEPTEMBER 2024 | |||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Note | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||||
| FIXED ASSETS | 13,844 | 18,914 | |||||||
| CURRENT ASSETS | |||||||||
| Cash at bank and in hand | 365,650 | 333,852 | |||||||
| Debtors | 3,325 | 3,644 | |||||||
| 368,975 | 337,496 | ||||||||
| CREDITORS: Amounts falling due | |||||||||
| within oneyear | 4 | (12,253) |
(12,624) | ||||||
| NET CURRENT ASSETS | 356,722 | 324,872 | |||||||
| TOTAL NET ASSETS | 370,566 | 343,786 | |||||||
| REPRESENTED BY | |||||||||
| Unrestricted Funds: Funds Designated for Development | 240,000 | 190,000 | |||||||
| : Operating Reserves | 95,000 | 95,000 | |||||||
| : Vehicle replacement | 20,000 | ||||||||
| : General Funds | 35,566 | 38,786 | |||||||
| 370,566 | 343,786 | ||||||||
| Approved at a meeting of the trustees held on 24th July 2025 | |||||||||
| Donna Woodford | |||||||||
| On behalf of the Trustees |
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PRO DOGS DIRECT
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH SEPTEMBER 2024
1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES
a) Accounting convention
The financial statements are prepared under the historical cost convention, as modified by the inclusion of investments at market value.
In preparing the financial statements, the charity followed best practice as laid down in the Statement of Recommended Practice "Accounting and Reporting by Charities" (SORP 2005) issued in October 2005.
b) Donations
Donations are accounted for on the date they were made
c) Resources Expended
Expenditure is included on an accruals basis
d) Depreciation
Depreciation is provided to write off the cost of all tangible fixed assets over their expected useful lives, at the following annual rates:
Motor Vehicle: 25% on a reducing balance basis
2 TAXATION
The Trust is a registered charity and accordingly is exempt from taxation on its income and gains where they are applied for charitable purposes.
3 TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
| TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle | ||||
| £ | ||||
| COST | ||||
| At 1st October 2023 | 22,697 | |||
| Additions | 0 | |||
| Disposals | 0 | |||
| At 30th September 2024 | 22,697 | |||
| DEPRECIATION | ||||
| At 1st October 2023 | 3,783 | |||
| Provided for theyear | 5,070 | |||
| Disposals | 0 | |||
| At 30th September 2024 | 8,853 | |||
| NET BOOK VALUE | ||||
| At 30th September 2024 | 13,844 | |||
| At 30th September 2023 | 18,914 |
CREDITORS : Amounts falling due within one year
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||||||||
| Taxation and social security | 2,467 | 2,585 |
|||||||
| Accruals | 9,786 | 10,039 |
|||||||
| 12,253 | 12,624 |
FUNDS
Unrestricted funds represent those funds which the trustees are free to use in accordance with the charitable objects.
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