Luke Gamble WVS
Dogs Trust CEO Calls BBC Documentary “truly Harrowing”
3 days ago 
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In response to BBC Africa Eye Save Our Dogs: Inside Uganda’s Rescue Scam, Owen Sharp, CEO of the UK’s largest dog welfare charity Dogs Trust, and Dr Luke Gamble, Founder and CEO of Worldwide Veterinary Service and Mission Rabies respond:
Owen Sharp, CEO of Dogs Trust said, “The footage seen in BBC Africa Eye’s Save Our Dogs: Inside Uganda’s Rescue Scam is truly harrowing, and it’s horrifying to see scammers are using the public’s love of dogs to raise money for their own gain, while deliberately harming dogs in their care.
Dogs Trust, through work with our sister charity WVS, works to provide free expert veterinary care and rabies vaccinations to dogs in need all over the world, including Uganda, helping over 2.2 million dogs globally last year alone.
We would urge anyone wanting to support dogs abroad, to ensure that the charity is legitimate and linked to a specific organisation, and has a registered charity number. Please report any concerns to the relevant animal welfare authority.”
Dr Luke Gamble BVSc DVM&S DLitt FRCVS, Founder & CEO, Worldwide Veterinary Service and Mission Rabies said, “Worldwide Veterinary Service was founded on a simple principle - that animals should never suffer because there is nobody there to help them. For more than 20 years we’ve worked around the world treating injured, abandoned and abused animals, often in extremely difficult conditions.
Even so, I was shocked by the cruelty and calculated exploitation exposed in this programme.
What makes this especially disturbing is that these scammers are not only harming animals, they are exploiting the compassion of people who genuinely care and want to make a difference. Every pound diverted into these scams is money taken away from legitimate welfare organisations working tirelessly to help animals in desperate need.
I would strongly encourage anyone wishing to support animal welfare overseas to do so through reputable, registered charities with proven track records, transparency and accountable governance.”
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