Our people

Our people make us who we are.

Whether it’s our vets, dog carers, fundraisers or volunteers, every single person plays an important role in making a difference for dogs.  

We’re united by our love of dogs and a belief in what’s possible, creating a culture that’s anchored in our values:

• We dream big - striving to be the best while staying grounded
• We’re on the ball – continuously learning about dog welfare
• We make things happen – through the power of collaboration and teamwork

Together, we can do even more to help dogs.

These are the people who provide expert day-to-day care for the dogs in our rehoming centres. From feeding, walking and enrichment to rehabilitation and training, they help dogs build confidence, recover from difficult experiences and prepare for their forever homes.

Meet Steve: one of our Dog Ambulance drivers

Dog Ambulance drivers like Steve play a vital role, transporting dogs safely to the support they need. Every week, Steve travels hundreds of miles to make sure that every dog’s journey starts with compassion and care – find out what his work means to him. 

Meet our Chief Executive

Since joining Dogs Trust in July 2019, Owen has been leading our work to improve the lives of dogs and their owners in the UK and around the world. 

Owen began his career as a nurse, training in Glasgow and working in Accident & Emergency. He moved into NHS management, holding a number of senior operational and director roles across hospitals in England and Wales, before moving into the charity sector. He was Deputy and Interim CEO at Victim Support, then Chief Executive at Prostate Cancer UK, and most recently prior to joining Dogs Trust, Global CEO of Movember. 

Although this was his first role in animal welfare, Owen had long admired and supported our work. And he’s proud of the many milestones already achieved during his time with us, from developing new centres, increasing the reach of our prevention work and bringing our international partner WVS into the Dogs Trust family.  

He takes the greatest joy in the work happening across the whole charity and seeing first-hand the life-changing difference it makes to dogs and their owners every single day. 

The faces behind Freedom

Nicola and Becci are part of our Freedom team, working with amazing foster carers like Carmel and Sue to help support people fleeing domestic abuse. Watch how the project keeps much-loved dogs safe and well in foster care until their owners are in a good place to be reunited with their faithful friends.

Caring for the Oakfield Oldies

At Shrewsbury’s ‘Oakfield Oldies’ home, dog welfare assistant Elizabeth helps older dogs enjoy comfort, companionship and plenty of sofa snuggles. Whether they’re waiting for a forever home or settled in as a long-term resident, this one-of-a-kind retirement-style home is giving senior dogs the care, calm and second chances they deserve.