Words by Smiley Team
The UK is in the midst of a dog welfare crisis. Dogs are being handed into rescue and rehoming centres in alarming numbers – which means one in four centres are facing having to turn them away.
That's why London-based husband and wife team Giuseppe and Kimberley want to do something about it.
They've launched muthapuppa, a purpose-driven social enterprise to tackle the problem head-on. Its mission is to build the first of many rescue and rehoming centres for dogs, to provide help on the ground and take pressure off existing centres.
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Moving beyond the traditional donation model, online dog store muthapuppa.com will act as the central driver of the enterprise, with 100% of profits going towards the mission of dog rescue.
The products for dogs are sustainable and include everyday essentials such as treats, chews and poop bags, as well as toys – and many muthapuppa suppliers have also pledged to donate a percentage of their time, sales or profits to social good causes.
“UK rescue and rehoming centres are overwhelmed, and it’s incredibly saddening to see millions of dogs out there homeless, sick or suffering from abuse," said Kim and Giuseppe.
“muthapuppa seeks to combine purpose and profit to help support rescue efforts, while partnering with likeminded businesses to provide dog owners with high quality, sustainable products.
"The enterprise is entirely self-funded by us; we're not wealthy, have no investors and have put everything on the line, so we're 100% reliant on public support.”
muthapuppa pledges to support existing UK rescue and rehoming centres in 2022 through both its profits and donations:
1% of profits go to Blue Cross via Work for Good
1% of profits go to All Dogs Matter via Work for Good
1% of profits go to Battersea Dogs Home via Work for Good
DONATE: You can donate to the muthapuppa JustGiving page – they're on a mission to crowdfund £50,000.
