There’s nothing we love more than a community of dog lovers working together to change dogs’ lives forever. We caught up with Lisette, the Co-Founder of Doggy Warriors, an incredible organisation raising funds for rescue centres in need through their charity lottery #DoggyLottery and online shop.
While they aim to support rescue centres financially in the short-term their long term goal is to reduce the number of dogs that get abandoned each year by raising awareness and sharing educational content.
Since launching in July 2020, they have raised over £60k for more than 100 different charities.
Hiya Lisette, SUPER excited to chat all about Doggy Warriors today. What inspired you to start this business?
Beautie, my 3-legged dog is the inspiration behind the business. Only weeks after adopting Beautie, I lost my dad and she helped me through the grief. We might have rescued her, but she rescued me right back. She made me want to do more for rescue dogs all around.
I researched the dog rescue situation in the UK and found out that there are over 800 rescue centres in the UK and that over 130.000 dogs get abandoned each year (that was before lockdown!). My intentions were set right there and then. I needed to find a way of supporting the centres financially and help lower the number of dogs that get abandoned.
That hit us right in the feels. What an incredible thing to do. What’s the best thing about running Doggy Warriors?
Helping dogs in need and being able to spend more time with my dog Beautie.
The best combo ever. How did you choose the name for your business? Doggy Warriors is super empowering!
I was looking for a word to describe a group of people working hard to make a change and that could also apply to rescue dogs. To me they are all warriors. It’s the perfect description of who we are. We are DoggyWarriors.
YES, we love that! What is it that makes Doggy Warriors so special?
We help lots and lots of different dog charities on an ongoing basis. We don’t only raise funds for these amazing charities but we highlight the wonderful work they do too. Apart from raising funds, we are also committed to trying to help lower the number of dogs that get abandoned by raising awareness, creating educational content and sharing it far and wide.
Welling up over here! You are amazing. Tell us a little bit about your adorable pooch Beautie? She’s a cutie!
Yes I have a 3-legged rescue dog named Beautie who I rescued while I was living in Dubai. She was a street dog and got hit by a car. Unfortunately, her leg was too badly damaged and it had to be amputated. Thankfully she recovered really well and just gets on with life.
She is a proper Dubai diva dog who adores the sunshine and lots of attention. Her name is so fitting. But she also has a heart of gold and is the most loving dog. She always knows when I need cheering up.
Such a babe. Do you have any favourite dog friendly places you like to visit together?
Her favourite activity is hiking. The higher the better so she can take in the views. You literally see her admiring her surroundings. We are very lucky to have the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales close by so anywhere around there. But probably our most favourite walk is around Ullswater in the Lake District.
There’s nothing more peaceful than sitting on top of a mountain together is there?! Where is your favourite destination to travel together?
I absolutely love taking Beautie to Holland with me on the overnight ferry. They now have dog friendly cabins, so she stays with me the entire time!
Beautie is a well-travelled poochie isn’t she?! What about you Lisette, what are some things that people probably don’t know about you?
I was born and raised in the Hague in the Netherlands. My mum is from Manchester and she left the UK to marry a Dutchman (my dad) and I’ve come to live in the UK to marry an Englishman.
Wow, that’s such a lovely story. You’ve come a full 360 back to the UK. What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?
Obviously Beautie but sadly I know that day will eventually come. Living in different countries family photos are something I wouldn’t want to live without and video calling so I can actually see them whenever I want.
I feel you there. You can’t imagine your life without your furry bestie. So what’s next for Doggy Warriors?
We are currently working on some exciting new products to add to our shop and we are forming some really valuable partnerships. Also, we are aiming to reach £100k raised for charity before July 2023.
What an amazing goal! If there’s anything we can help with to get you there let us know! Where can people find your products/services?
You can join our DoggyWarriors community by either signing up to our weekly lottery #DoggyLottery, buying an item from our shop or signing up for our newsletter – www.doggywarriors.com. Or find us on social media:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoggyWarriors
- Insta: https://www.instagram.com/doggywarriors/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoggyWarriors
