The prime dogs (and cats) for charity fundraising | UK | Information

A refrain of mews and barks greets James Oakes as he enters the RSPCA’s Leybourne Animal Centre in Kent. The sanctuary specialises in bringing deserted and sick pets again from the brink and the boss of for-profit fundraising firm Omaze is visiting to announce a brand new donation mannequin from his agency’s sensational million-pound home attracts.

As it unveils its twenty first unbelievable prize draw at the moment – a shocking Somerset mansion – Omaze pledges handy the RSPCA a assured minimal of £1million, which shall be spent financing frontline animal welfare officers in England and Wales.

As Chief International Officer, Oakes leads the staff that launched the Omaze Million Pound House Draw within the UK in 2020. That first prize draw, in Manchester, raised an unbelievable £250,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

But it was solely the beginning. In 2021, 4 home attracts alone raised £2million, revealing simply how enthusiastically most of the people had embraced attempting to win a dream home whereas supporting worthwhile charities.

So far, a staggering £22,250,000 has been raised for charities, topped up most just lately because of £1.8millon for Breast Cancer from the nineteenth home attract Scotland. Entries for the wonderful Somerset home draw open at the moment. And Omaze has assured the RSPCA will get a donation of £1million, plus 17 per cent of the ticket gross sales.

All of which brings us again to the Leybourne Animal Centre the place Oakes is taken by a 13-week-old furball known as Snow. When Snow arrived on the centre, she had a extreme an infection in her proper eye, which needed to be eliminated promptly to avoid wasting her life.

Stroking the nervous kitten, the 46-year-old businessman says: “I am bowled over by her bravery. She has been to hell and back but look at her now, a lively bundle of fun, who is well on the road to recovery thanks to the care she’s getting round the clock.”

With that Snow jumps out of his arms onto the ground, pounces playfully on
her toys then darts joyfully round her clear and comfy momentary home.

“I’ve never seen a kitten move so fast,” laughs Oakes as Snow performs conceal and search. “Her eye has healed wonderfully and she is set to have a good life if she can be adopted. Snow would make a marvellous pet for anyone who likes cats.” Next he meets Diesel, a 3 12 months old whose welfare wants weren’t being met by his proprietor.

He is timid, extra reticent, maybe studying to belief people once more. After extreme neglect, all his tooth needed to be eliminated and he suffers a spread of medical issues, together with a B12 vitamin deficiency and digestive issues.

“Diesel has complex needs and each one of them is being met here, which is incredible and shows the level of care being given to each animal individually,” says Oakes.

Animal Rescue Officer Emma Haines, 23, our information at the moment, lets Oakes take ten-year-old crossbreed canine Angel for a walk. Angel sniffs the bottom like a puppy as Haines briefs him on his background.

“Angel was in a terrible state when we found him at a house where 14 very large dogs were being kept,” she says.

“The animals were not allowed out of the house, so you can imagine what the floor looked like. It was horrendous. Now he is happier and he just loves to be taken for a walk.”

Then she introduces Oakes to Isaac, a lurcher who had spent 5 years inside a property and had by no means worn a collar, by no means thoughts being taken for a walk.

Free from his imprisonment, Isaac, too, has regained his well being and confidence at RSPCA Leybourne, which at present cares for 47 cats, 32 dogs, seven guinea pigs, 26 rabbits and 12 small mammals, together with deserted pet rats.

Within seconds Isaac insists on sitting on Oakes’ lap. “You can tell he’s been deprived of attention for years but look how he picks up when you show him a bit of love,” says Oakes as Isaac licks his face.

“Isaac would make a wonderful companion for someone.”

During the tour, Haines provides us the chilling low down on the calls for on the RSPCA in England and Wales.

“The last few years have taken a heavy toll on animals,” she says.

“The cost-of-living crisis is one of the single biggest challenges for animal welfare right now. We’re desperately concerned about the coming months.

“Abandonments have soared and many rescue centres like ours are full to bursting. Our rescue centres are set to be busier than ever at Christmas, so we need the help of our supporters.

“The £1million could pay for almost 40,000 hours of inspectorate officer time as they respond to rising numbers of abandoned animals and calls of neglect.”

Calls to the RSPCA are at present at a three-year excessive, she provides. Last 12 months 1,098,000 folks contacted the RSPCA’s emergency line – up 1.6 per cent on the earlier 12 months. And worryingly, since 2019, rehoming charges have fallen by 30 per cent, which suggests 1000’s fewer rescue pets are being adopted.

Between 2021 and 2022, the RSPCA noticed a six per cent improve within the variety of dogs taken into care and a 4 per cent improve within the variety of cats.

While the financial system stutters alongside, there’s each indication that extra pets shall be deserted within the coming months as households battle to pay their payments, so the windfall from Omaze couldn’t be arriving at a greater or extra important time.

Brighton born entrepreneur Oakes studied economics at college earlier than co-founding, in 2008, Roboreus, a lottery methods startup firm which was purchased by the ZEAL group in 2016. He stayed on and created ZEAL Ventures and later led the market acquisition of Lotto24, Germany’s largest lottery brokerage.

In 2017, he invested in Omaze, a US leisure firm which provided prizes of dinners out with A-lister Hollywood celebrities while elevating money for good causes on the similar time. Oakes tells the Daily Express: “Omaze is now taking a big step forward to make its product even better for its customers and charity partners.

“We’ve just committed to launching a new house every single month, meaning Omaze customers get double the opportunities to win life-changing prizes and we
can raise even more money for more charity partners.

“Also, we’re giving the charities the funding certainty that they crave by upping our guaranteed minimum donation from each draw by a factor of ten, from £100,000 to £1million from now on.

“That’s a guaranteed £1million – at no risk or cost – from each house.”

Omaze CEO and co-founder Matt Pohlson says: “James is an exceptional leader. He has built Omaze UK from an idea into a fast-growing business that has an incredible impact on its charity partners.

“He is a visionary, operationally excellent, and inspiring to a team.

“That rare talent was evident when we first created the UK house plan over beers five years ago.”

Research carried out in April revealed charitable giving within the UK would decline by £279million this 12 months, largely due to the cost-of-living disaster, which is why so many charities now need to companion with Omaze.

Oakes added: “Under this new model we are forecasting that, in 2024 alone, Omaze will raise more for charities than we have raised in the previous four years combined.”

RSPCA Chief Executive Chris Sherwood says: “Our first partnership last year raised an incredible £1million and we hope our second partnership will raise even more vital funds to help our dedicated officers reach animals in need.

“This provides us with greater certainty to be able to plan and allocate crucial funds to projects and services sooner.”

Oakes, who lives in Richmond, southwest London together with his spouse Marjit and two sons, William, eight, and Ferdie, six, says: “Coming here and seeing the incredible work being done to help these animals recover from terrible suffering has been eye-opening.

“The RSPCA is a great partner and we’re delighted to help them in their important work. I’ve been blown away by the care here at RSPCA Leybourne and proud that this money will help this and other centres across England and Wales.”

• For extra data on the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Somerset, go to omaze.co.uk