Pete Wicks goes behind the scenes at our centres
The hit dogumentary series shines a light on the vital work of our rehoming centre heroes.
Pete Wicks, loveable telly personality and author, has teamed up with our rehoming centres on the frontline of dog rescue – as seen in the hit show Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake.
So, what’s the show about?
Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake throws Pete into the emotional world of rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming pooches across the nation.
Filmed entirely at our rehoming centres, Pete lends a helping hand to the heroes working tirelessly each day for dogs in need. We see the highs and lows of life at our centres, and the precious pups at the heart of it all.
Go on, take a peek behind the yellow curtain. You’ll laugh, you may even ugly-cry, but you’ll definitely have your heart warmed.
Stream all episodes of Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake now on U.
Why Pete?
You may know Pete as the cheeky-chappy reality star, or the Sunday Times bestselling author. But dogs have always been a huge part of Pete’s life. He’s grown up with them, cared for his own, and now he’s desperate to repay their loyalty.
Dogs don’t judge you, don’t care where you’ve been or what you look like. All they want is love and whatever love you give them, they give you back tenfold.
Pete
But Pete’s no stranger to the fight for dog welfare. In 2017, he teamed up with Humane Society to save 170 dogs from a meat farm in South Korea. He’s now helping hounds closer to home, mucking in with our dog-driven centre staff. The people who devote their lives to helping furballs in need.
The behavioural teams [...] work so hard in rehabilitating vulnerable dogs in order to give them the opportunity to start the second phase of their life. [...] It’s incredible, being part of it is such a special thing.
Pete
The story so far
Series One captured the ups and downs of daily life backstage at our centres. We shed tears for heartwarming rehomes and held our breath during touch-and-go vet operations.
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We saw the heartbreaking impact of the cost-of-living crisis, with owners struggling to afford their dogs’ care and having to give them up. We watched Pete and our teams support dogs with behavioural challenges. And we met Mel, a pregnant poodle who was seized at the border having been illegally smuggled into the UK.
“That really sticks out as a turning point in the filming for me,” says Pete, “because it’s only really when you’re there on the frontline that you see the pain and suffering that these dogs have been through.” It was down to our centre staff, with Pete’s help, to support Mel and her puppies through their birth.
Series Two offers more tales of hope, heartbreak and everything in between. Pete hits it off with Theo, a gentle Mastiff with a heart condition. And Ricky, a lively Pointer at our Leeds centre, has problems coming back when called.
Sweet Lurcher Elliot lands in our care after his owner was made homeless. And our team discover a worrying lump on him that needs further investigation from our vet teams.
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Behind the scenes
Series Two is ready to stream now, with Series Three (plus a Christmas special, see below) on the way.
It takes the perfect recipe to create the mutt magic of Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake. And an army behind the scenes to pull it all off.
The numbers
So, what went into the filming of Series Two, Three, and the Christmas special?
- 24 weeks, 120 days, and 960 working hours
- 9 different rehoming centres visited (Basildon, Leeds, Darlington, Canterbury, Kenilworth, Shrewsbury, Cardiff, Shoreham, Harefield)
- 43 centre visits from Pete
- 126 dogs filmed
- 71 staff members filmed (and many more behind the scenes)
- 39 terabytes of footage.
And that’s just the tip of the Greyhound’s tail. So many committed Dogs Trust teams mucked in together to make it happen. And the driving force behind it all? To make life better for those loveable bundles of fur we call dogs.
Pete returns to our centres for a Christmas special
Ready for your next portion of Pete? As if two summers on the dog welfare frontline weren’t enough for him. He’s now back on our screens for a Christmas special.
But there is just one problem. You heard it here first – Pete doesn’t like Christmas. So, it’s up to our faithful centre staff to turn him into a believer.
Expect laughter, tears, heartwarming reunions with dogs from previous series, and even a wholesome visit to a homeless shelter.
It’s very Christmassy – we saw the work Dogs Trust do with the homeless and their dogs. We met some really interesting characters and their wonderful animals.
Pete
There’s even a special visit to the white tails and eyebrows of our Oakfield Old Dogs Home, so you won’t want to miss it.
I’m in, now how do I watch?
Catch Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake Christmas Special at 9pm, Monday 8th December on U&W. Or if you miss that, stream it on U from then.
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