One thing I struggle with is the lack of time I have to thank people who help me and the dogs. So many wonderful gestures. From kids sharing their pocket money through to people drawing me paintings of the dogs and making me special personalised gifts.
If I had to thank everybody it would take me hours every single day. Instead, what I prefer to focus on is using every single hour I have to help more dogs in need. I think thats what people would prefer I do. Having said that…
This is for you all. Enjoy…
We made this video to show you a small fraction of the things achieved this year. I cannot express how much of this is down to the support you give me here and elsewhere. I’d urge you to watch it in full and see what your support has helped me achieve for the dogs in just 12 months…
I’d love you to watch the video on Youtube here.
Where Does The 25,000 Number Come From?
Some of the key numbers that have been achieved this year…
292,000 meals served
2300+ Sterilisation operations carried out
278 Serious vet visits
54 Dogs re-homed
The biggest and most important is the sterilising. There are many formulas to work out how many puppies each operation stops coming into the world. I keep it nice and simple and say each operation stops 10-12 puppies. The reality is over the course of a lifetime and with multiple litters that number would be much higher. Forgetting everything else we’ve done the sterilising alone will ensure 25,000 dogs won’t be born into suffering. Incredible start but lots more to do.
Words Could Never Explain The Support
I really hope you were able to watch the video and appreciate just how thankful I am for this beautiful community. More importantly if the dogs could speak they’d all love to thank you even more. Ending their suffering at scale is what you are helping me do.
The year has had many ups and downs but the overall trajectory is a positive one. I absolutely hate the thought of someone donating, subscribing or sending me personal messages and being upset at not hearing back from me. It does often literally keep me up at night with worry. The only thing I can offer is my ongoing actions and dedicating my whole life to this mission. Please just know how much I am so in awe of the support and still so humbled by it.
I could pick 1000s of bits of moments but meeting Kerry just before she passed, a woman who followed the dogs daily in her last months of life in Liverpool will always stay with me. As will 2 other people who sadly passed this year and who took inspiration from the dogs on Instagram.
On a personal level getting the gift of a felt Tina and then a Snoop still makes my eyes moist on a near daily basis when I see them beside my bed. I could write 10 emails full of examples like this that show the world is not as bad as it seems right now.
I didn’t edit that video myself but when I watched it I had tears in my eyes throughout. Just seeing the support and the lovely people. None of that still seems real to me even to this day. People always go over the top in praise for me but I am the one who gets to live this life and I feel utterly blessed to be doing so. I feel so lucky that one day I think I’ll wake up and it will all have been a nice big dream.
This might sound like a wrap up of the year but there are still 19 days left to achieve great things and the dogs are out there suffering right now so there is no time to lose. Although I’m proud of the numbers my hope is to be writing something similar in December 2024 and look back at how laughably small these 2023 numbers were.
Wherever you are in the world please take care, be kind to each other and above all…thank you.
Big Love
Niall
P.S You can always support my mission by either donating here or just subscribing to this newsletter
This community is amazing and that’s down to what you and your team do. We all feel a part of this which is why we are so Passionate about helping. We all have our Favourite (Mr Derek and Stitch and Miss Marple) Take care of you and we can’t wait to see what the next 12 months brings. Give Derek a big hug and hope Jumbo will be ok 🥰
Amazing Niall 👏🏻 keep doing what you’re doing! The video is amazing, what a year! Don’t worry about replying to people, we all know you’re very busy and you’re right, we’d rather you spend time helping the doggos! But of course look after yourself too ❤️