Specializing in the well-being of dogs, Dogs Trust, formerly known as the National Canine Defence League, is an animal welfare charity and humane society in the United Kingdom. The group aims to rehabilitate dogs and find new homes for those who were abandoned by their owners.

Founded in 1891, the National Canine Defence League (NCDL) campaigned against prolonged chaining, unnecessary muzzling and vivisection of dogs. This charity works also provide care for stray dogs and lobbied against the cruel treatment of the animals by railway companies who refused to provide water for the animals. The organization’s slogan is “A Dog is for Life, not just for Christmas.” This group is also known for deploying pistols to wardens in the 1920s to euthanize the animal when it gets into a car accident, which was quite rampant back then. They also lobbied against the use of Russian space dogs in space flight and honored Laika in 1957.

It was in 2003 that the organization got rebranded to Dogs Trust. During that time, it already has 18 rehoming centers in the United Kingdom and claimed never to put a healthy dog to sleep. In November 2009, the charity opened its first international center in Dublin, Ireland. In addition, they also keep two large mobile rehoming units which they refer to as the Dogmobiles. They also currently offer a sanctuary for dogs where they are able to live with together free from excessive human contact.

Part of the movement the group does is the encouragement of people to give at least £1 a week to sponsor a dog. They also run microchipping and neutering schemes in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to minimize the number of unwanted litters of puppies and stray dogs. Not only is the organization able to generate its funds through sponsorship as they also have celebrities who back their cause. Some of the well known names are Jodie Prenger, Deborah Meaden, Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford.