Our Story
It all began in 2019 when Elina visited Ukraine over the Easter holidays to see her family. During her stay, she and her children spent their days volunteering at a local rescue called Paw Help. They walked, fed, and cared for the dogs every day. Every time Elina came to Ukraine, they would always visit and help the rescue.
In the summer of 2020, while spending holidays in a Ukrainian small village, Elina found a homeless dog, Naida, with her newborn puppies living under a bush near the road. Elina started feeding them, but within a week, three of the puppies had tragically been killed by passing cars. Heartbroken and unable to leave them in such danger, Elina moved the remaining puppies to safety. Paw Help Rescue in Ukraine found them a foster, with Elina covering their costs.
Back in Britain, Elina tried to find homes for the puppies through local Ukrainian dog lovers’ groups but quickly realised how difficult it was. The shelters were already full, and local adoptions were rare due to the overwhelming number of abandoned dogs. Statistics showed that 85% of stray animals in Ukraine were once pets who had been abandoned. Without government support, these rescues relied entirely on personal savings and donations.
Having supported Paw Help for some time by donating money, blankets, pet food, and dog supplies, Elina knew how dire the situation was for these dogs. She felt a deep desire to help give them a better chance. That’s when she decided to start Paw Help UK rescue. Her dream was to find forever homes for these wonderful dogs in Britain, where they had a real chance at a happy life.
And as soon as Paw Help UK rescue was registered , one of the first dogs to make it to the UK were those, already grown puppies Elina had rescued. And by January next year, Elina had also took Naida away from streets—their lovely kindest mum. Naida now lives as part of Elina’s own family, alongside her other three rescue dogs. But that’s a story for another time.
Paw Help UK began by partnering with rescue groups in Ukraine, Poland, and later Belarus, rehoming dogs to loving homes in Britain. As more people learned about us, we started receiving calls from people in Britain needing to rehome their dogs, often after being turned away by other rescues. We also began cooperating with vets with UK dogs needing rescue. As a result, we expanded to include UK dogs in our work. In 2021, we rehomed 2 UK dogs, around 30 dogs in 2022, and nearly 80 in 2023 and almost twice more in 2024. Sadly, the number of dogs being surrendered is rising, but we’re here to help them find new families.
At last, the next step was taken, and in September 2024, Paws Help Charity was officially registered, a proud successor of Paw Help UK Rescue. This marks a new chapter in our journey, allowing us to reach even more dogs in need and continue our mission of bringing hope, love, and forever homes to every dog who crosses our path. Together, we’re making the world a kinder place, one rescue at a time.
We started small, but with big hearts and a passion to help dogs in need. Today, we continue that mission, finding loving homes for one happy pup at a time.
Join us as we work towards a future where every furry friend finds the loving home they deserve.
