As is tradition on the final day of the year, I like to pause and reflect on what we’ve achieved together and 2025 feels especially meaningful.

This year marked 20 years of Hope Rescue. When I think back to those early days, a small group of determined volunteers rescuing dogs from pounds, transporting them to safety, and doing whatever we could with very little, I could never have imagined how far we would come. Today, we run our own rescue centre, deliver our own statutory stray dog services and support dogs and owners across South Wales. And yet, our mission remains exactly the same: no dog left behind, even as the animal welfare crisis continues to deepen.

In 2025, an incredible 898 dogs came through our doors.

Each number represents a life, a dog who needed help, safety, and compassion. Among them were 505 stray dogs, 299 surrendered by owners, 35 dogs seized from breeders, 33 puppies born into our care, and dogs helped from other rescues. I am incredibly proud of the way our staff and volunteers have cared for every single one, often in the most challenging and emotionally draining circumstances. I’m also very grateful to our rescue partners including Dogs Trust, Battersea, Blue Cross and Leicester Animal Aid, without their support we would not be able to help so many dogs.

Working closely with local authorities across Wales and Animal Licensing Wales, we continued to take in stray and seized dogs who had nowhere else to go. Being awarded the RSPCA Pawprints Platinum Award for our statutory kennelling services was a real honour and recognition of the standards our team work so hard to uphold. The dogs in our care deserve nothing less.

One of the unexpected joys of this year was sharing our work with a wider audience through our very own TV show, Tails from the Shelter. Allowing the ITV Wales cameras into the heart of Hope Rescue was a big step, but it gave the public an honest insight into the realities of rescue - the heartbreak, the hope, and the dedication of our team. Their warmth, professionalism and compassion shone through. And of course, it made a star of our wonderful volunteer Pauline! If you haven’t watched it yet, the series is available on ITVX including the Xmas special.

While much of our work happens at the rescue centre, I’ve always believed that lasting change for dogs must happen beyond our gates. We continued to play a vital role as a strong national advocate for dog welfare, using our voice to influence policy, challenge poor practice, and raise public awareness of key animal welfare issues ensuring that the needs and welfare of dogs remained firmly on the public and political agenda. We attended drop-ins, meetings, roundtables, and discussions with MSs, MPs, officials, and sector partners, speaking at conferences and contributing to policy work on issues ranging from greyhound racing to breeding legislation, responsible dog ownership and rescue regulation.

One moment this year will stay with me forever.

In February, I sat in the public gallery as the Deputy First Minister announced that Wales will become the first UK nation to ban greyhound racing. Since launching our Senedd petition in 2021, Hope Rescue has been a leading voice at the heart of this campaign, working alongside our #CutTheChase coalition partners to bring an end to this inherently dangerous activity. To see years of hard work lead to such a historic win for animal welfare was incredibly emotional and something I am very proud of. We’re not over the line yet though, and we look forward to seeing the Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Bill progress through the legislative stages.

This year also marked the first full year of our Hope in the Community programme. I’ve seen first-hand how powerful it is to support people and their dogs before crisis hits, empowering guardians and their dogs to stay together where mutually beneficial. Working across Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and the Vale of Glamorgan, we met some truly inspiring people, dogs and partner organisations. I’m especially grateful to Mobivet for supporting this work as our community vet partner for our Pet Check Clincs.

I was also delighted to welcome two ambassadors to Hope Rescue this year – singer and actor Will Young and TV presenter Ruth Dodsworth. Both have been incredibly generous with their time and voices, helping us reach new audiences and championing our work in ways that genuinely make a difference.

Our charity shops continue to be a vital lifeline for our rescue work. Opening new shops in Talbot Green and Cowbridge was a real achievement, and I want to thank every volunteer, staff member, and donor whose support keeps them running. I’m also deeply grateful to our Board of Trustees, whose guidance and shared commitment help steer Hope Rescue through both opportunities and challenges.

But there have been challenges.

This year brought moments of real worry about our financial position, with the rescue costing over £7,500 a day to run. Rising costs forced us to question whether we could continue to take unclaimed stray dogs from Merthyr, Torfaen, Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent, dogs for whom we are their only lifeline.. Those were incredibly difficult conversations, and I won’t pretend it wasn’t a frightening time.

Thanks to tough decisions, careful savings, and an overwhelming response to our crisis appeal, we were able to continue. But the reality is that we are still not secure. If Hope Rescue is to be there for the dogs who need us most, we urgently need to grow our regular income.

If you’re able to, a monthly donation of just £5 can help keep our doors open and ensure no dog is turned away when they need us most.

Before I finish, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Everything we achieved in 2025 was possible because of your kindness, trust, and belief in what we do. This is your impact as much as it is ours.

And to end the year on a happy note: Sierra and Raya have finally found their forever home together. After capturing so many hearts on Tails from the Shelter, seeing them settled and loved reminds me exactly why this work matters.

Thank you for standing with us.