YEAR END REPORT

This year between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011 we rehomed 124 dogs

That’s actually 40 less dogs that last year but last year was an exceptional year so this figure actually puts us back into line on previous years and reflects the average number of dogs we usually see through on an annual basis

This brought the number of dogs through Bulldog Rescue since I took over to 1199 as of 31 March.

From these dogs

And from these

There were 2 more dogs at the kennel compared to last year but an additional 10 dogs that required foster care. Three more dogs than last year required the use of local boarding kennels and a staggering 56 LESS dogs were rehomed from home. The main thing this seems to show is that fewer people are prepared to hold on to their dogs whilst they are being found new homes and are happy to pass their dogs into the care of the rescue, this is something that rarely happened 10 years ago and we’ve certainly seen the trend change from people who want to meet their dog’s new family to those that want their dog gone as quickly as possible.

What is also interesting is that 46 less people changed their minds about having their dogs rehomed, this either means we have finally achieved our goal in that putting your dog through the rescue system is not something to be ashamed of – or – a more likely reason is that people are selling their dogs for a few hundred quid as opposed to giving them away for free, bearing in mind we are seeing a huge increase in the number of under 2 year olds up for adoption my money’s on the later. We have also seen a sharp increase in the number of dogs coming through as strays.

There were five less dogs put to sleep, although the majority of those that were were still as a result of a dangerous temperament. This figure could be misleading though in so far as we now tend to refused to take known biters through lack of space and advise the owners to euthanize. I am aware that many do not and this may be something we need to look at in the future, but this aspect of our work is still the most heartbreaking part and isn’t something we take lightly. A dog that bites is still the only reason bulldog rescue would ever refuse to rehome a dog, although we do sometimes offer to take the dog to euthanize if we feel the dog is a public danger and the owner is not likely to comply with the advice given.

Overall, despite there being a staggering 40 less dogs through the system, 11 more dogs found their way into new homes, something that I think reflects the efficient running of today’s Bulldog Rescue and that is only possible because we have such a fantastic band of people who give up their free time, and in some cases their lives, to make sure we are efficient, friendly and competent.

As with most charities, our running costs continue to rise. 10 years ago when we first took over Bulldog Rescue I pretty much did everything, running it with Diz alongside our business in my spare time. As time has gone on and the set up has become more professional free time isn’t something I have a lot of anymore and the number of people that are involved in the day to day running has of course increased.

The number of foster homes has dramatically increased, but the cost of keeping a dog in foster care can run into several hundred pounds. The 34 dogs that needed foster care during the period 2010/11 were looked after by less than 20 individuals. This increase in foster homes is mainly thanks to Vicky (and more recently Georgia) who between them recruit all new volunteers and to whom I am incredibly grateful.

As well as a group of excellent Trustees all of which bring their own expertise to the table - and of course all the volunteers, this year has seen a number of changes, the main one being that we now have Annie at the kennel who comes in every week day morning, making sure all the dogs at the kennel (up to 10 at any given time) are clean, walked and have valuable one to one time. All collections and homechecks are now co-ordinated by our volunteer Georgia in Birmingham, who’s doing a much better job then I ever did and the turn around on the rehomings has increased dramatically as I can now concentrate purely on the admin and the rehoming meaning we are seeing at least 4 dogs per week go to a new home. Graham continues to act as our Fund Raising co-ordinator and Val and Malc have recently taken on the merchandise, although they are still waiting for me to set up the web site which I will hopefully get done this Summer. The book keeping is being undertaken by Sue Agutter in Oxford who sadly couldn’t be with us today, but who gives up her free time to put our accounts into some kind of legible order and our year end accounts for March 2011 are now complete and ready for audit. A rough break down shows that we spent almost £25,000 on vet bills alone last year and our volunteers travelled around 20,000 miles collecting, homechecking and travelling dogs – that figure does not include the miles done in the van which does an average of 500 miles a month. Satinder has a more detailed report for us a bit later.

We are now full members of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes which give us access to valuable information and help, I will review the benefits of being a member at the end of the year and will report fully at next year’s meeting.

Other than that, it just remains for me to thank every single one of you who give up your free time, over the past 10 years I’ve seen the number of volunteer helpers increase from one or two to almost 65, about a third of which are able to foster and I can’t stress enough that without you lot there wouldn’t be a Bulldog Rescue ….. so thank you very much and stay tuned for our Volunteer of the Year award.

Bulldog Rescue and Re-Homing Trust

Annual Report and Financial Statements

for the year ended 31^st March 2011

Contents

 Registered Charity no. 1115009

Company Number 5664557 (England and Wales)

Registered Office:

PO Box 18

Midhurst

West Sussex GU29 9YU

Website: www.bulldogrescue.co.uk
Report of the Board of Trustees

Bulldog Rescue is the only official Bulldog Rescue and Re-homing service for Great Britain. Co-ordinated by Chief Executive, Tania Holmes, from West Sussex, the charity covers the entire mainland UK with a network of foster homes and volunteers, making sure that when a bulldog needs a new home, he is found somewhere which is exactly the right home for him.

This is the fifth annual report of the board of trustees and covers the twelve months ended 31^st March 2011.  The organisation is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity.  It is registered as Bulldog Rescue and Re-Homing Trust and uses the working name, Bulldog Rescue.

The members of the company are the same as its trustees.  The company is established under a memorandum of association which sets out the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its articles of association.

The board is responsible for the oversight of the management of all the affairs of the charity.  It seeks to ensure that all activities are within UK law and come within agreed charitable objectives.  Our work includes setting strategic direction, agreeing the financial plan, the disaster recovery plan and ensuring that activities are carried out within agreed governance frameworks.

The mission of Bulldog Rescue is:

·         to promote responsible dog ownership amongst those that own a pure bred bulldog

·         to ensure that all those who can no longer keep their bulldog for whatever reason, have the option of safely placing their dog in a vetted pet home.

·         to ensure a place of safety is available to all bulldogs whose owners can no longer cope or look after their dog properly

·         to be available to offer unbiased breed advice to all those that own a pure bred bulldog

·         to educate bulldog owners in the hope that bulldogs in the future can be free from cruelty, abuse and neglect

Highlights of the year

Head Office

Bulldog Rescue was in existence as an unregistered association for over 20 years until 2006. It has been running for five years as a registered charity, and is administered by Tania Holmes and her husband, David, from their home in Midhurst, West Sussex, as it has been since April 2001.  Having been a volunteer for 7 years, on 1^st April 2008 Tania became a part-time paid employee of the charity. David remains a volunteer, drawing only out-of-pocket expenses.   During the last year, the charity also acquired the services of a very experienced part-time kennel maid, Annie Hodder, providing much needed professional support to Tania.

The year in figures

During the year 2010/11 (2009/10), a total of 124 (164) dogs were signed over to Bulldog Rescue, a 30% decrease on the previous, exceptional, year.  Of these 109 (90) were re-homed.  Of the others, 9 (53) owners changed their minds after initially applying to send their dogs through Bulldog Rescue; 5 (10) were put to sleep, 4 (8) due to temperaments that made them unsuitable for re-homing and 1 (2) due to illness, 1 (3) died of natural causes whilst in care.  0 (0) were returned to its breeder.  While awaiting re-homing, 32 (24) were fostered, 46 (44) were cared for at the Rescue kennels, 9 (6) were cared for in boarding kennels, and 34 (90) remained in their own homes. 

There were 2 more dogs at the kennel compared to last year but an additional 10 dogs that required foster care. Three more dogs than last year required the use of local boarding kennels.  The most dramatic difference was that 56 fewer dogs were re-homed from home. This indicates that fewer people are prepared to hold on to their dogs whilst they are being found new homes and are happy to pass them into the care of the rescue which is something that rarely happened 10 years ago.  The trend is away from owners who wish to meet their dog’s new family, to those who want to see their dog gone as quickly as possible.

46 fewer people changed their minds about having their dogs re-homed.  This either means owners are hearing the charity’s key message – there is no shame in putting a dog into Bulldog Rescue – or, more likely, people are selling their dogs for a few hundred pounds as opposed to giving them away for free. We have also seen a sharp increase in the number of dogs coming through as strays. 

Five fewer dogs were put to sleep this year, although the majority of those demonstrated a dangerous temperament. This trend could be misleading as we now tend to refuse known biters through lack of space and advise the owners to euthanize. We are aware that many do not and this may be a policy trustees need to look at in the future.  This aspect of our work is still the most heartbreaking and is never taken lightly. Knowing a dog bites people is still the only reason Bulldog Rescue would ever refuse to re-home a dog, although we do sometimes offer to take the dog to euthanize if we feel it is a public danger or we judge that the owner is not likely to comply with the advice given.

Overall, despite there being significantly fewer dogs through the system, 11 more dogs found their way into new homes.  This is a reflection of the efficient running of today’s Bulldog Rescue, made possible by of people who give up their free time, and in some cases their lives, to make sure we are efficient, friendly and competent.

The most common reason for a bulldog needing to be re-homed remains divorce and separation, still closely followed by the arrival of a new baby in the family. Finding homes is proving to be more difficult as people applying for bulldogs don’t want dogs with problems and although we rarely see a bad breather, skin problems continue to be an issue in the breed as do problems with ears and eyes.

Volunteers

The volunteer network is the lifeblood of the charity and their work in collecting and fostering dogs, assessing potential new homes, and transporting dogs is key to the charity’s success.  A total of 53 (40) volunteers were active during the year 2010/11 (2009/10). But we are still short of foster homes, so again we needed to use the services of boarding kennels with 9 (6) dogs being moved into boarding kennels. 

All prospective volunteers are interviewed by the Volunteer Manager, Vicky Collins-Nattrass.  Once accepted, they sign up to the Bulldog Rescue Volunteer code of conduct and good practice, are provided with a uniform shirt and identity badge.  They all receive a full briefing about how to work most effectively for the charity.  They are also expected to attend the Annual Volunteers’ meeting which is held in the Midlands each year.  There is always a shortage of volunteers in certain parts of the country.

During the year, Georgia Burton took on the role of Volunteer Co-ordinator, taking responsibility for contacting volunteers and arranging collections, transportations and home checks.  This has relieved Tania of a considerable burden allowing her to concentrate on selection of new homes, providing advice and undertaking the charity administration.  The time taken to re-home each dog has therefore been substantially reduced and at least 4 dogs per week now go to a new home. 

Volunteers travelled around 20,000 miles collecting, home checking and transporting dogs – that figure does not include the miles done by David and Tania in the Rescue’s van; an average of 500 miles a month.

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Each year the trustees invite nominations for an award to be given to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the welfare of the bulldog breed during the previous year.  There are many different ways in which that contribution can be demonstrated, as shown by the 2010 award which was presented at the Bulldog Picnic to the charity’s retiring first book keeper, Allen Mills.  The book keeping is now being undertaken by Sue Agutter in Oxford who has kindly taken over from Allen. 

Governance

The charity is governed by its board of trustees who have met on average every three months.  These meetings have been held by telephone conference, with the exception of the Annual General meeting followed by a Trustees’ meeting held in June, prior to the Annual Volunteers’ Meeting.   The meetings are attended by the Trustees with the Chief Executive in attendance.  The Trustees consider the policies and strategic direction of the charity.  The board delegates all other, operational and management, matters to the Chief Executive.  All decisions are recorded in the minutes of the meetings.   

Trustees

The Trustees during the year 2010/11 were:

Vicky Collins-Nattrass (Chair)

Elizabeth Mills OBE

Dr John Nattrass

Satinder Pujji (Hon Treasurer)

Malcolm Kirk

Graham Sherlock

At the AGM in May 2010, in accordance with the Memorandum of Association, Mrs Elizabeth Mills resigned and was duly re-elected.

The Trustees seek to act independently and impartially with their sole interest being the furtherance of the charity’s objects. Any potential conflict of interest is declared in advance of any agenda item and, in such an event, an individual trustee may be excluded from the decision-making process.

Trustees were not remunerated for their work as Trustees, although out-of-pocket expenses were paid to enable attendance at meetings, and those trustees who are also volunteers were able to reclaim expenses incurred in that capacity.

Reporting on our activities

Trustees seek to go further than the minimum reporting required by the Charity Commission.  The website www.bulldogrescue.org.uk, which is maintained by Tania Holmes, is a source of excellent up-to-date breed information as well as details of bulldogs seeking new homes, news on fundraising activities, and stories about dogs which have been re-homed.

Finances and fundraising

Graham Sherlock continued to act as our Fund Raising co-ordinator with a particular focus on raising funds from Charitable Trusts and Foundations.  It is very encouraging that several trusts, e.g. the Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust and the Barry Green Memorial Fund, have shown their admiration for the work of Bulldog Rescue by providing repeat donations.  The charity is grateful for the continued support of most of the Bulldog Breed Clubs; not least because Club contributions are matched by the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, thus effectively doubling the size of these donations.

Val and Malcom Kirk look after fundraising merchandise.  The very popular calendar competition and subsequent calendar sales again made a good profit, but investment in new merchandise in 2010/11 for sale in 2011/12 shows a deficit in the accounts this year which will be recouped in the coming financial year. 

Income generated by our Re-homing Service includes a £5 charge for all those registering their interest in applying for a dog.  This has resulted in additional income of £3,627 (£2,815) - a considerable boost to funds.  Adoption fees continued to rise and were up to £10,643 (£9,883). 

Adoption fees chargeable were increased in 2009/10, and have remained unchanged at the following rates:

under 1 year old - £350.00;

1 to 2 years old - £300.00

3-5 years old - £200.00

5-8 years old - £100.00;

8-10 years old - £75.00;

10 years old or over - No charge

The book keeping is undertaken by volunteer Suzanne Agutter.  The charity’s opening assets and cash balances totalled £17,491 (£19,219).  During the year, the total income was almost exactly the same as last year at £56,379 (£56,709).  By far the largest source of income remains voluntary donations which, though down on last year, was still at £28,812 (£36,639). The charity’s Facebook group has been very generous, reacting quickly to urgent appeals for help.  But an increasing contribution to income was generated by fundraising events £9,716 (£5,143), notably the walks at Morecombe (organised by Allwyn Brown), the Scooter Run, car boot sales, the events around St George’s Day for the very first Bulldog Rescue Awareness Day, and the annual Bulldog Picnic at Lavant. 

Income includes £466 (£614) given to the charity by Reggie’s Den – the online pet supply business owned and run by Tania and David Holmes. 

Regular gifts from individuals have really mounted up, and the tax already paid by taxpaying donors, reclaimed from HMRC under the Government’s Gift Aid scheme came to £2,105 (this was the first reclaim the charity had made).  Thanks to Trustee and Honorary Treasurer, Satinder Pujji, the charity continued to enjoy a subscription to the Directory of Social Change information service, www.trustfunding.org.uk free of charge.  This has provided information about charitable trusts which may be approached for support. 

Expenditure

Expenditure was up slightly more than income in 2010/11.  Staff costs rose because of the addition of a kennel maid, Annie Hodder, to help Tania at the kennels at Midhurst £10,519 (£8,488).  The other major cost is vet bills which continue to rise as many dogs are being gifted to the Rescue because of health issues which owners are struggling to afford £19,487 (£16,671). Volunteer expenses, being primarily the costs of travel charged to the charity at 40p per mile and the cost of the telephone, were £10,374 (£7,296).  We are grateful to the many volunteers who donate their expenses back to the charity, so that tax may be reclaimed from the Revenue under the Gift Aid scheme.

In 2009/10 the cost of dog food was considerably reduced to £373 as a result of the generous donation of food from food manufacturers, Royal Canin.  As this gift was not repeated in 2010/11, this item of expenditure rose to £1,896.

Unusually, Bulldog Rescue purchased a dog for £600 in order to avoid him falling into the wrong hands.  He was a very sick bulldog which was taken to Midhurst and was successfully nursed back to health and re-homed nine months later. 

Trustees seek to maximise funds spent in direct furtherance of the charity’s objects and keep the proportion of charitable funds spent on administration and fundraising to a prudent minimum level commensurate with the effective and professional operation of the charity and its future financial sustainability.

Restricted and unrestricted funds

Funds are applied for the purpose for which the donor requests.   On the rare occasions when this is not possible, with the donors’ permission, the funds are used to support the work of the charity more generally.  General appeals for a specific purpose always bear a note to the effect that when sufficient funds have been raised to finance that need, the balance will be applied to the charity’s running costs.

Equal opportunities

We are committed to the principle and practice of equal opportunities and aim to apply equal opportunities principles to the recruitment of volunteers, selection of foster and adoption homes and in the delivery of training and information.

Auditors

During the year, Reg Pullen was again appointed the charity’s auditor.  He provides this service on a voluntary basis and his services are greatly appreciated.

Thanks

The Trustees would like gratefully to acknowledge the tireless and invaluable work of Tania and David Holmes, Annie Hodder, Georgia Burton, Suzanne Agutter and all the volunteers, and the support and assistance of the many organisations and individuals who have helped Bulldog Rescue during the year.  We include not just our major donors but all those who have contributed in any way to help make the year such a success.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees

Vicky Collins-Nattrass

Chair

Date:   20^th December 2011

Auditor’s Report to the Trustees of

Bulldog Rescue and Re-homing Trust

I have audited the financial statements of Bulldog Rescue for the year ended 31st March 2011 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet and related notes.  The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Financial Reporting Standards under the historical cost convention and the accounting policies set out therein.

This report is made solely to the company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Section 235 of the Companies Act 1985.  My audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose.  To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company’s members as a body, for my audit work, for this report, or for the opinions I have formed.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and auditors

The trustees are responsible for preparing their report and the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom law and accounting standards.

My responsibility is to audit the financial statements in accordance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements and United Kingdom auditing standards.

I report to you my opinion as to whether the financial statements give a true and fair view and are properly prepared in accordance with the Companies’ Act 1985.  I also report to you if, in my opinion, the report of the trustees is not consistent with the financial statements, if the charity has not kept proper accounting records, if I have not received all the information and explanations I required for the audit, or if information specified by law regarding directors’ remuneration and transactions with the charity is not disclosed.

I read other information contained in the report of the Trustees, and consider the implications for my report if I become aware of any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the financial statements.  My responsibilities do not extend to any other information.

Basis of audit opinion

I conducted my audit in accordance with United Kingdom auditing standards issued by the Auditing Practices Board.  An audit includes examination, on a test basis, of evidence relevant to the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.  It also includes an assessment of the significant estimates and judgements made by the trustees in preparation of the financial statements, and of whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the circumstances of the charity, consistently applied and adequately disclosed.

I planned and performed my audit so as to obtain all the information and explanations which I considered necessary in order to provide me with sufficient evidence to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or other irregularity or error.  In forming my opinion I also evaluated the overall adequacy of the presentation of information in the financial statements.

Opinion

In my opinion, the financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of the charity as at 31^st March 2011 and of its incoming funds and application of resources for the year then ended. They have been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 1985.

R T Pullen ACMA

107 Winchester Road

Four Marks

ALTON

Hampshire

GU 34 5HU

Date: 28^th January 2012

Bulldog Rescue and Re-homing Trust

Balance Sheet at 31^st March 2011

Note 1

Assets are depreciated on a straight line basis

Kennels12.5% per annum and Van 25% per annum

Bulldog Rescue and Re-homing Trust

Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended

31^st March 2011

Note 2

Note 3