Burnie’s Foundation gathered momentum and further refined the specific areas we want to focus on as we continue to help alleviate animal suffering. We remain in awe of the courage and compassion of those at the sharp end, who witness and alleviate suffering first hand, and continue in our resolve to help and encourage these people to do still more.

Burnie’s Foundation’s priorities are rescuing, re-homing and improving the quality of lives of dogs and cats in Romania and Mallorca, but inevitably as we have become better known, we receive requests for help for all sorts of projects from around the world. We have tried to help where we can but sadly we are only in a position to issue grants to to projects by invitation only from now on.

• Our sanctuaries in Romania and Norfolk rescued a total of 343 animals this year, of which 271 have been re-homed in the UK. Apart from dogs and cats we also rescued 10 chickens, 6 lambs, 2 ducks and 1 pig.
• Through our association with Cat Protection Pollensa, we sponsored the neutering of 50 cats and boarding accommodation for 25 cats and kittens.
• We continued to provide food, shelter and veterinary care for a colony of around 18 cats
• We supported a sanctuary that was having a hard time and enabled it to get back on its feet – enabling the continued care of 30 cats, 11 dogs, 8 goats, 6 sheep and 5 pigs
• We supported a veterinary team on the West Bank to administer care to neglected donkeys for 6 months
• We sponsored the neutering of 150 dogs in Enez, Turkey
• We sponsored the building of new dog kennels by a rescue team at a sanctuary outside Berlin
• We sponsored the construction costs of a new building at The Retreat – one of the rescues we most admire
• We ran an advertisement in The Economist highlighting the fact that whilst fox hunting is illegal in the UK, the law is not enforced
• We were a sponsor of the film “A Dog’s Life”, Peter Egan and Maria Slough’s heartbreaking film about the plight of dogs in Romania.

in addition to our own sanctuaries we want to be able to provide significant support to Animals Asia, The Retreat and Cat Protection Pollensa.

Apart from rescues we want Burnie’s Foundation to take an active part in the animal welfare debate, by supporting individuals we believe can give animals a voice. We will also be keen to support those we consider to be innovators or thought leaders in any area relating to alleviating animal suffering, such as designing vegan clothes, food or leather substitute materials.

Over the last two years we have been privileged to meet an incredible array of the most talented, dedicated, compassionate people who share our goals. Many of these people lurch from animal emergency to animal emergency without ever having the luxury of reflection or to pause for breath. One of our goals for this year will be to try to bring some of these wonderful people together, to share experiences and to exchange knowledge. This is how we believe magic can happen.