The charity battling to establish Scotland’s first XL Bully sanctuary in Angus has seen public support for its work soar.
Donations to All Bullie Charity Rescue soared from just £3,000 in 2019 to more than £140,000 by the end of 2023.
And that figure does not include money raised since the charity’s figurehead announced controversial proposals for kennels near Forfar.
It is currently preparing an appeal case against Angus Council’s refusal last month to grant an animal welfare licence for Happas Canine Centre.
Charity Commission records reveal spiralling income
Charity Commission accounts for the organisation revealed the dramatic rise in donations.
The charity says: “We place bull-breed dogs with fully checked and approved volunteer foster families to be rehabilitated, where they can assess the dogs character, to enable us to place the dogs with permanent new families.”
Income of £3,010 in 2019 rocketed to over £19,000 in 2020.
It more than doubled the following year, before rising to £83,900 in 2022.
Accounts posted in November last year reveal income reached £142,500 at the end of 2023.
The charity’s spending followed a similar pattern.
From £4,300 in 2019, expenditure rose to £138,910 during 2023.
An accompanying statement said the last reported year was the charity’s toughest “by far”.
It said the XL Bully ban had seen the charity inundated with requests for rehoming or exemption help.
Happas campaigner took over All Bullie Charity Rescue in 2020
Campaigner Kerryanne Shaw, who moved from Glasgow to Happas early in 2024, said the upturn in donations coincided with her taking the lead of the charity.
Records show she became a trustee – one of four in total – in early 2020.
Her lawyer is currently preparing an appeal against Angus Council’s refusal to grant an animal welfare licence for Happas Canine Centre, between Forfar and Dundee.
The charity’s application was rejected last month over “grave concerns” around the proposal.
A welfare inspector said there had been no significant improvement in a follow-up visit to Happas.
The original inspection heavily criticised a number of areas. Those included record-keeping, medicine controls, emergency procedures and the security of outdoor areas.
It also reported evidence of stressed-out animals.
There are currently more than 20 dogs at Happas and a further 12 in foster homes. Around half a dozen animals at the Forfar kennels are XL Bullies.
Lawyer preparing Happas appeal
Ms Shaw said: “The upturn in donations reflects the impact when I took over running the charity.
“People could see notable improvements in how the charity was being run, and wanted to support that work moving forward.
“We began to support more dogs than before, and so naturally, the fundraising needed to increase to cover the costs for these dogs.
“Twelve of our dogs are in kennels in England awaiting rehoming, and the fundraising efforts have enabled us to cover the kennel costs that this has incurred.
“We are, and remain grateful, to all those that have and continue to donate toward our efforts.
“Obviously, I only took on the venture of refurbishing and re-purposing Happas kennels early in 2024, in anticipation of the XL ban coming into play, and funds for that venture have been raised separately.
“Fundraising efforts for the dogs currently in kennels in England, and the other dogs outwith Happas kennels that we also have in our care, continues.”
Ms Shaw’s lawyer, Jacob Cohen, says he is formalising the grounds of appeal in relation to the Happas refusal.
It must be submitted within 28 days of Angus civic licensing’s committee February 13 decision.
Conversation