Sponsor a dog

It couldn't be easier to sponsor a dog in our care, or to gift a sponsorship to a friend or loved one for as little as £1 per week* (£4.34 per month).

£1 per week

Choose your sponsor dog

Why we need your support

In 2025, we had over 900 enquiries every week from people wanting to give up their dog.
While most dogs find a loving new home within about six weeks, some dogs need love and support for longer.
We rely on sponsorships to look after the 1,500 dogs in our care at any one time.

Your support can make the world of difference.

The Pawfect present

Whether it's a birthday, a Valentine's present or a gift just because, sponsoring a dog is the perfect prezzie for dog-lovers.

What do sponsors receive?

When you sponsor a dog you will receive:

A personalised photo-certificate with details of your new pal, which you can treasure forever.
Postcards, window sticker and a magnet, so you can be reminded of your new four-legged friend wherever you are.
Updates three times a year, at Christmas, Valentine’s Day and in the summer, with information about what they’ve been up to and how they’re getting on.

Dogs you can sponsor come in all shapes, sizes, breeds and ages. You might choose one that reminds you of a beloved pet, or one with similar personality traits to your own.

How your sponsorship helps

Your sponsorship donations not only help your chosen furry friend, but all the dogs in our care. Your sponsorship money helps to:

Run our rehoming centres
Heat dogs' kennels
Wash dogs' beds
Supply tasty treats
Provide fun enrichment toys
Support with vital training and medical care
Give overlooked sponsor dogs and underdogs all the support they need while they search for a forever home.

Search our sponsor dogs

How sponsorship works

It couldn't be easier to sponsor a dog in our care, or to gift a sponsorship to a friend or loved one.

1
Pick a dog to sponsor
Choose a dog who reminds you of a beloved pet, or a dog with a story that simply tugs at your heartstrings. Or why not sponsor both?
Choose your sponsor dog
2
Set up your sponsorship
Tell us how much you'd like to give and whether you want to give monthly or annually. For gift sponsorships we'll just need to know who to send doggy updates to.
3
Enjoy regular updates from your Sponsor Dog
Once you’re signed up, you’ll receive a sponsorship pack, including a special photo certificate of your new bestie, photo postcards, a window sticker and a fridge magnet. We'll also send you three updates a year from your chosen sponsor dog.

Search our sponsor dogs

Story 1 of 3

Eric's story

We rehomed Eric when he first came to us as a puppy, but unfortunately due to his behavioural issues he was returned to us in 2009 when he was 18 months old. For 11 years he lived at Dogs Trust, and despite making many human pals, we struggled to find the right home for him due to his aggression towards other dogs.

Thankfully, Eric really enjoyed life at the Centre, and with specialist training and the support of his carers, he was able begin a rehoming trial with a family who lived near our Ballymena Rehoming Centre. After multiple visits to make sure he was comfortable in their care, we were happy to confirm Eric’s rehome in August 2020.

His new home is in a beautiful, peaceful location, and in true Eric style, he’s already claimed a comfy sofa as his own which he shares with his owner!

Benny's story

Found as a stray in Ireland, Benny had already been rehomed at a different organisation before being brought to Dogs Trust in early 2016. Benny has a strong dislike for other dogs, which meant that he needed to be muzzled while out on walks. Also, being a very bouncy and energetic dog, Benny also needed an owner that could handle his strength.

Happily, his carers were able to work with him on his behavioural issues, and eventually a lovely couple who sponsored Benny looked to rehome him. After several months of preparing their home and visiting the Centre, we were able to officially announce his rehome in July 2020.

Not only is he the only dog in his new home, with all of his owner’s attention focussed on him, Benny also has access to lots beautiful countryside walks and green fields that he can explore to his heart’s content!

Honey's story

Honey is beautiful Golden Retriever who was handed over to Dogs Trust Bridgend in September 2015 when she was just two years old. Unfortunately, Honey’s previous owner had used a lot of negative reinforcement techniques in her training which resulted in Honey having unpredictable behaviour and resource guarding issues.

Thankfully, she enjoyed life at the Centre with her carers who understood her quirks and needs. In February 2019 a family who sponsored Honey looked to rehome her and made numerous visits to the Centre in order to build a strong relationship and ensure Honey was comfortable in their care. Luckily, their meetings went wonderfully and at the end of March we were happy to confirm Honey’s rehome.

She has an amazing life with her new family who live locally, enjoys lots of trips out in the car and has as many tennis balls a dog could wish for!

FAQs

Why can't all the dogs be visited?

Our sponsor dogs are chosen from a small pool of dogs that are harder to rehome, or for legal reasons cannot be rehomed. Most of the dogs in our care find homes within about six weeks, and those that don't have usually had difficult pasts that have made them very slow to trust new people or unfamiliar situations. We encourage sponsors to write to our sponsor dogs instead of visiting them as these visits would be too stressful for the dogs.

Occasionally you may spot a sponsor dog in their kennel if you visit a centre, however we always ask visitors to respect the dog’s space when viewing dogs in their kennels. For more information, please email us at sponsoradog@dogstrust.org.uk

Will I be my dog's only sponsor?

Our Sponsor a Dog product is a co-sponsorship scheme with a number of people sponsoring each dog. Your money will go towards helping all the dogs in our care, including the dog you have chosen to sponsor.

What happens if my Sponsor Dog gets rehomed or passes away?

If your sponsor dog is rehomed or sadly passes away, we will always send you a letter to let you know.

In this letter our team will also introduce you to a new dog within our care who reminds us of your sponsor dog – usually a similar breed, personality or location.

If you’re happy with this dog, your sponsorship will automatically continue with them and there’s no need to contact us. If you decide you would like to sponsor a different dog, or wish to make any other changes to your sponsorship, then our supporter services team can be reached on 020 7837 0006 to answer any questions you may have.

I'm having difficulties setting up my sponsorship

If you have questions about your sponsorship payments, or are having difficulties setting up your sponsorship online please contact the Sponsor a Dog team on 020 7837 0006 and we'll be happy to help.