Greene’s Chosen Charity
Greene’s’ students fundraise for the Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary.
The COVID-19 pandemic challenged us all. When the recent UK lockdowns and ‘circuit-breakers’ forced families and friends to self-isolate, many people sought the company of animals to deal with their loneliness. According to the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, 3.2 million households in the UK adopted ‘lockdown pets’.
Many are reconsidering their adoptions as they can no longer care for their pets as they once did. The largest dog welfare charity in the UK, Dogs Trust reported a 180% increase in traffic to the ‘giving up your dog’ section of their website (compared to 2020), and phone enquiries for dogs being put up for adoption shot up by 39% (since July 2021). There is no doubt that this heart-breaking issue also affects many other different species.
When Greene’s student committee became aware of this issue, we simply had to act. We decided to raise money for the Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary (OAS), a charity that rehomes around 500 animals every year. Their method, where they match an animal with the most suitable adopter, resonated with us as it provides a sustainable, long-term solution – a core value of Greene’s College Oxford.
Our target was to raise £300. After busking, bake sales, walking around Oxford to collect money, and a Christmas Quiz Night, we surpassed our goal, making £623. We have now raised our goal amount to £700. We hope in the new year to raise more to help the OAS ‘provide a refuge for dogs, cats, and rabbits who have been mistreated, neglected, abandoned, are unwanted, and for those whose owners are no longer able to care for their pets.’
