DAWGS was founded by a dedicated group of volunteers, Mike Gibb, Brenda Rae, Jill Inggall and Karen Sutherland.
Their determination and passion to care for the welfare of animals inspired them to try to find a way to help with the rehoming process of dogs. To this day, the defining principle of DAWGS, rehoming with love, remains intact.
In 1994, they offered to help a local vet who was struggling to find suitable homes for the stray dogs he was taking in. The vet had been caring for them at his own expense but needed help and resource to rehome the dogs.
The DAWGS group offered to help, placing ads in local papers and carrying out home checks on potential new owners.
The ads not only found the dogs their new families, but opened the doors for owners who were no longer able to keep their own dogs and needed additional support.
Our purpose was defined and we’ve been committed to giving dogs a second chance ever since, always rehoming with love.
In 1995, with the need for our help in rehoming dogs continually growing, we realised there was a need to move into new premises to offer the level of service that was now required.
We moved in with supporters of the charity, Albion Kennels in Aberdeen, and soon after our very first paid rehomer was appointed – a significant milestone in the history of DAWGS.
As we’ve grown, expanding to include a group of DAWGS foster homes, our charity’s reach has widened across the country.
We opened our first charity shop in Alford in 2013, which relocated in 2020 to our new premises across the road. This became our new home and operational hub. On an almost annual basis, we have opened a week-long pop-up shop in George Street, Aberdeen.
Our volunteers will always remain at the heart of what we do. Mike Gibb, our founding member, has written the book ‘It’s a DAWGS Life’ detailing our early days as a charity, our supporters and some of the dogs we have rehomed.
Our dedication towards rehoming with love continues to define us.
View stories from across the DAWGS community
