For the second year running, Birmingham Dogs Home is the proud charity partner of PATS, the UK’s premier pet and aquatics trade show, returning to the NEC Birmingham this September.

We recently sat down with Sophie Evans, Corporate Partnerships Officer at Birmingham Dogs Home, to learn more about the story behind the organisation, the challenges it faces and the impact it is making today.

1. Can you firstly give some background to the charity: what is its origin story and how has it evolved over time?

Established in 1892, Birmingham Dogs Home began on New Canal Street as a vital lifeline for the city's lost and starving dogs.

Over 130 years later, we have evolved into one of the region’s most respected animal welfare charities. To ensure our residents have the space they deserve, we now operate across two modern centres in Solihull and Wolverhampton.

Each year, we rescue over 2,000 stray, abandoned and homeless dogs from across the West Midlands, providing 24/7 care and essential medical treatment. Our core mission is to keep every dog safe, happy and loved until they find their perfect match.

Working closely with local authorities, we serve as the primary destination for stray, homeless and abandoned dogs brought in by dog wardens across the region. While approximately 70% of our dogs arrive as strays, we also take in dogs whose owners can no longer care for them due to changing circumstances or bereavement.

2. What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced as a business?

One of our biggest challenges is the rising number of dogs needing our help, a surge driven by both the cost-of-living crisis and post-pandemic abandonments.

At the same time, we’re seeing more dogs with complex medical needs, which significantly increases our veterinary costs year after year.

As a charity, we receive no government funding. We rely entirely on donations, fundraising and community support to meet the £4.2 million required annually just to keep our doors open.

While our heart is in charity, we must also operate as a business. We are not immune to the same financial pressures as any other company, such as recent increases in National Insurance. It is a difficult landscape to navigate.

Our costs are highly unpredictable, as we can never foresee which dogs will need us next. Currently, we are seeing a spike in larger dogs entering our care, which are unfortunately harder to rehome than the smaller breeds more frequently in demand.

3. Does Birmingham Dogs Home have any community initiatives? Are these purely in Birmingham or further afield?

Community engagement is at the heart of what we do. A key part of our strategy is prevention, working to ensure dogs don’t need our care in the first place.

Through our educational outreach programme, we provide free talks to schools, youth groups and community organisations across the West Midlands and South Staffordshire. We cover everything from dog safety and animal welfare to careers and responsible ownership.

Our goal is to help people understand the real commitment of having a dog, from the lifetime costs to the daily responsibilities, while teaching children how to interact with them safely.

Our community fundraising events also play a vital role. Whether it’s a family fun day or a dog show, these events allow businesses and individuals to support our work while learning more about us. They are also a great opportunity for us to share insights into different breeds and their specific behaviours and needs.

For those who want to get active, we run challenge events such as ‘Spring into May’, a 100km virtual walk that anyone can take part in at their own pace. Every step helps us continue our mission across the region.

4. Which successes are you most proud of?

We’re incredibly proud of our rehoming track record. In recent years, the skill and dedication of our team has seen over 92% of our dogs successfully find their forever homes.

We are equally proud of our new in-house veterinary clinic, which allows for immediate health assessments from the moment a dog enters our care. By opening the clinic to the public, we’re not only supporting the local community but ensuring every penny of profit is reinvested directly into the charity.

Our new behaviour and training centre has also been a total game-changer. This bespoke space allows us to tailor specific programmes to each dog’s individual needs, an investment that has already transformed outcomes for the animals in our care.

We have more exciting projects in the pipeline to help us reach even more dogs and we look forward to sharing those updates soon.

5. How easy or difficult is it to match dogs to the right owners and homes?

Matching dogs with the right home is a complex process that depends on their unique behavioural and medical needs.

Our rehoming team carefully reviews every enquiry, assessing the lifestyle and home environment against each dog's specific requirements to ensure a good fit.

We prioritise the right match over the fastest match, which can affect how long the rehoming process takes.

6. Working for a dog rehoming service must be challenging sometimes. Is there a support system in place to help staff with the emotional side of the work?

This environment can be incredibly emotionally charged, swinging from deep lows to happy highs.

Take my current experience: I’ve been fostering a dog who really struggled in the kennels. While I’ve completely fallen in love with him, I know I’m not his "forever" home. We’ve finally found that perfect match for him, which brings such mixed emotions.

I’ve bonded with him and will miss him dearly, but I know I’ve set him up for a successful future.

We also face tough moments when a dog arrives having clearly suffered. Just before Christmas, we took in a lurcher who was visibly undernourished. It was heartbreaking for the entire team.

In times like that, we rally together. We hold monthly Friday lunchtime get-togethers to unwind and support one another, alongside dedicated wellbeing workshops.

To further prioritise our team, we’ve recently trained several staff members as Mental Health First Aiders. This ensures there are always designated people to lean on after a challenging day.

Truthfully, though, our team is naturally supportive. We collectively share in every sad moment and celebrate every happy one. It takes an incredibly resilient group to do what we do.

7. Do you normally get many updates about how rehomed dogs are getting on?

Our adopters are wonderful at keeping us in the loop. We love receiving regular messages and photos of our former residents settling into their new lives.

It’s also a treat to follow their adventures on social media. Some of our clever pups even have their own profiles!

Every now and then, we get a special visit from an old friend. Just the other day, a dog we rehomed ten years ago stopped by and it was so heartwarming that some of our long-standing team members still remembered him.

We also see many familiar faces at our community dog shows, where past residents often return.

Our support doesn't end at adoption, either. If owners face any hurdles, such as separation anxiety, our in-house behaviourist is on hand to offer expert advice and help work through those challenges together.

8. How long have you been involved with PATS and why is the partnership important to Birmingham Dogs Home?

PATS 2025 marked our first year as official charity partner, a collaboration that has become incredibly important to Birmingham Dogs Home.

First and foremost, the generosity we’ve seen is outstanding. Donations of high-quality food, enrichment toys and grooming supplies save the charity significant funds.

Beyond the supplies, this partnership gives us a vital platform to raise awareness of our mission.

Being hosted on The Animal People Recruitment Company stand allows us to connect with hundreds of businesses and exhibitors alike. We work together to cross-promote our organisations from a shared space.

9. Why should people visit PATS 2026 and how can they support the charity at the event?

PATS 2025 was an eye-opening experience that brought together the best in pet care innovation and industry expertise. It was a joy to connect with people who are just as passionate about animals - all animals - as I am.

If you’re planning to attend PATS 2026, please come visit our stand! We’d love to share more about the work of Birmingham Dogs Home and give you a chance to meet some of our wonderful dogs who are searching for forever homes. Whether you're interested in donating, joining a fundraising event, or becoming a patron, every bit of support helps us help dogs. See you at the event!

10. What are the other ways businesses in Birmingham and beyond can support the charity?

Support in any form is sincerely appreciated. Detailed information regarding how to contribute is available on the website, covering fundraising, donations, and the contribution of professional services or time. The team is currently seeking host venues for their 'Barking Breakfast' networking events and offers a variety of corporate sponsorship pathways for interested partners.

Find Birmingham Dogs Home on Stand C1

Chris Whatling, MD & Co-Founder of The Animal People Recruitment Company, is a proud Ambassador for Birmingham Dogs Home and is once again hosting the charity on Stand C1 at PATS this year. The partnership gives Birmingham Dogs Home a platform to meet brands and build relationships across the pet industry, with last year's introductions generating around £45,000 worth of donated products for the charity.

"I've spent years building relationships across the pet industry, and I believe one of the most valuable things I can do is use that network to open doors for the Home. Last year, those introductions helped generate around £45,000 worth of donated products, which was phenomenal," said Chris.

"Our industry is built around a shared love of animals, and I believe that gives all of us a responsibility to support animal welfare and rescue alongside the commercial work we do. I'm enormously proud that The Animal People Recruitment Company can host Birmingham Dogs Home at PATS again this year and help introduce them to more of the brilliant businesses that make up our industry.

"The pet industry has given me, my team and our pets so much... I'll always be incredibly proud to champion this industry and equally proud to use the platform and relationships it has given me to help organisations like Birmingham Dogs Home."