Dogs on the Streets (D.O.T.S)
We spoke to Michelle Clark, founder of Dogs of the Streets (DOTS) to find out a little about what she does and how her charity helps the pets of those living on the streets.
How did you come up with the idea of DOTS?
I had already been supporting London's street dogs by providing the basics for 5 years when in October 2016 I was approached by a homeless man asking me to help with his dog Poppy. Her dad was unwell and needed medical treatment so I took Poppy into my own home to look after her while he recovered. This made me realise that more needed to be done, so I decided to bring together as many services as I had access to provide support to the homeless community with dogs. Hence DOTS LONDON!
What kind of services does DOTS offer?
We offer every essential/accessory possible from leads, harnesses, collars, coats to wet food & dry food. We also provide fun things for the dogs such as toys and treats! The list goes on and on…
Vet care: we do health checks and vaccinations as well as administer medication should the dog need it. We also provide microchipping to make sure if they are ever lost they can be reunited with their owner. If the dog needs any form of operation we have vetinary surgeries that will step in to do this for us.
Training: we provide advice and training, mainly for socialisation issues as well as any other the owner may require like general obedience. We are going to be running a monthly fun/agility day for the dogs to get involved with and this will help with socialisation too.
What are the most common issues the DOTS dogs present you with?
The main problems we tend to see are diet related. Sadly, this is because the dogs don’t have access to a consistently healthy diet while living on the streets. With the help of our weekly station our clients are able to stock up on good quality, nourishing food, like Butternut Box! This has helped the dogs immensely with their diet and health.
What is the most difficult thing about running DOTS on a week by week basis?
Most hardest thing for me is seeing and hearing about the number of dogs out there and feeling unable to help secure accommodation for them. Walking away knowing I can go back to my own home while they are out there in all weathers is difficult.
What is your favourite part of running DOTS?
My favourite part is….. all of it! I just love being with our homeless friends and their furry companions. The love they hold and give one another is incredible. I also have a great team volunteering for DOTS!
What does the future of DOTS look like?
It’s looking very positive, we aim to start expanding soon, including doing some work outside of London. There are some other things in the pipeline too!
What can people reading this do to help DOTS?
Spread the word! Join us on our social media platforms, pop on our website www.dotslondon.co.uk. We are a Not-for- profit, volunteer run organisation, so donations of items (please see our amazon wish list) and financial support is greatly appreciated, as is sharing with others about what we do.
