Heroes’ new leash of life for disabled dogs
It’s time to meet our next winner of the Mirror People’s Pet Awards with Webbox. Our team went through thousands of nominations to produce a shortlist for the judging panel, who chose which incredible animals and animal lovers should receive a trophy. We’ll be revealing them every week on this page and today it’s disabled pet charity Broken Biscuits.
When they launched their charity more than 10 years ago, Tim Giles and Cassie Carney were on a mission. Not only did the husband-and-wife team want to save the lives of dogs considered too hard to help, they also wanted to change the way people think about disabled pets – and make a difference to their lives.
“The work we’re doing at Broken Biscuits is so important,” says veterinary nurse Cassie. “We get thousands of messages every year from people looking for support. There’s a huge disabled pet community in the UK. It’s crucial we keep up the work we’re doing.”
Since 2013, Broken Biscuits, which relocated from London to a seven-acre site in Lincolnshire two years ago, has cared for and covered treatment costs for hundreds of dogs with disabilities. They and the Broken Biscuits community have built a strong following on social media, with tens of thousands of people tuning in to see pictures and videos of the incredible animals they work with.
As well as looking after paraplegic pets at their rehabilitation and rehoming centre – there are currently more than 20 dogs on site – the team sources custom-designed mobility aids for disabled animals and provides owners with crucial training in how to care for them.
“It can be a very stressful time for owners if their pet is suddenly facing life with a disability, whether that’s through an injury or simply old age,” says Cassie, originally from New Zealand.
“People can be referred to us through clinics, or come to us directly, and we’re able to help them navigate those difficult early days. We can help them assemble and measure all the kit and talk them through the next steps.
“People can lose confidence if their animal loses a limb, so having someone to help talk them through what to expect and provide training can make a big difference.”
Tim and Cassie were inspired to start their work by their old dog Otto, a shih tzu, who had lost his two back legs and tail after being hit by a car in Romania. “We’ve always worked with animals,” says Cassie. “During a time when we were in Europe we saw a lot of dogs with amputations. It was really upsetting to see them in the shelters. When we were back in the UK, we took in four disabled dogs from overseas, nursing and rehoming three, and keeping Otto.
“It was that experience that made us realise how little information there was for people, so we decided to do something about it.
“At first, we both carried on with our jobs alongside the charity, but I’ve since made the move to focus full time on Broken Biscuits.
“In many cases, we’re able to support families as they make the transition, but for others it can be too much of an adjustment, with all the practical demands that come with caring for a disabled animal. Most of the dogs we take in are referrals now, with clinics getting in touch to say families have gone as far down the road as they can, but aren’t able to go any further.
“But with the support of our volunteers, we’re able to help pets learn to live with their disabilities, and go on to have happy lives with families who have capacity to care for them.”
Marketing director Tim, who is originally from Australia, adds: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have won the Internet Sensation award with the Mirror’s People’s Pet Awards. We’ve been working for many years not just to help disabled animals, but to change attitudes towards them.
“Things are definitely heading in the right direction, but there’s more work to do.”