Just last week, the world took time to celebrate International Dog Day.
An event observed annually on August 26th, National Dog Day is an opportunity to recognise all of the incredible roles dogs play in human life, while also raising awareness for the plight of stray dogs around the world.
This year, we spent the day reflecting on core animal-welfare issues, with discussions focused around the fact that helping dogs less fortunate has always been at the heart of who we are and what we do.
With community and honesty being two of our core values, we thought it necessary to talk through these reflections with our Barc London family.
As we share our journey so far, we hope our thoughts and feelings resonate with fellow dog lovers near and far.
The Brand for Dogs
As many of our customers already know, the idea behind our brand was sparked from the love between one man and his dog.
Officially a love story, this human-canine connection is truly what keeps the momentum going at Barc London HQ.
When we started Barc, it was hugely important for there to be a charity element to the business, and over the years we have been lucky enough to work with incredible organisations dedicated to dog welfare.
Dogs Trust
In 2017, we met with Dogs Trust and visited one of their rehoming centres.
It was here that we learnt more about their mission and witnessed firsthand the crucial rescue and rehoming work they conduct across the UK.
Their commitment to the protection of dogs is something that resonated with all of us at Barc HQ, and we instantly knew we wanted to get involved with similar work as soon as we were able to.
Wild At Heart Foundation
The following year, we went on to partner with Wild At Heart Foundation (WAHF).
Since becoming an official charity partner, £1 from each and every sale made has been donated to WAHF to support their rehoming programmes around the world.
But we didn't want to stop there. Moved by WAHF's work, we felt it important for their mission to be woven through our branding and communicated to our audience.
So with this in mind, in 2020 we launched our very first charity collection BARC x WAHF.
The purpose of the range was to help raise funds and awareness, while celebrating the amazing efforts of dog charities and non-profit organisations in reducing the world's stray dog population.
Blending our signature style with Wild At Heart Foundation's branding and messaging, the collection included collars, leads and harnesses that featured WAHF's famous 'Believe In Dog' slogan.
The idea to include this slogan on the products themselves was one that was important to us. The reason? There's nothing we believe in more - the power dogs have to change our lives for the better.
And while love, trust and companionship are all parts of a relationship that should be a two-way street, over time, the mistreatment of this amazing species has continued.
The BARC x WAHF collection is still available for online purchase, and we are proud to share that 60% of the proceeds from these products are donated directly to Wild At Heart Foundation.
Promoting values we live by
In addition to our charity partnerships, over the years we have worked closely with dog shelters to donate old toys, walking accessories and bedding to help ensure all dogs have access to the products they need to live happy and fulfilled lives.
Our team have also taken these values home to their personal lives, adopting dogs through both Dogs Trust and Wild At Heart Foundation.
In the hope of encouraging others to consider fostering and adoption, for National Dog Rescue Day we shared one of our team member's personal rehoming experience.
Jenny's story contains key information and advice for people interested in adopting a dog. We encourage readers to get in touch with any questions or concerns they may have prior to getting a rescue.
Thanking our customers for their support
During our International Dog Day discussions, we spoke about the importance of acknowledging the incredible support we receive from our customers.
Without all of you, none of what we do would be possible.
We know that many of our customers have adopted rescue dogs, and there's nothing we enjoy more than seeing pups sporting our BARC x WAHF products.
So today we wanted to say a huge thank you for your ongoing support - it means the world to us.
Looking forward
With so many dogs still suffering, we recognise the road to progress is a long one. However, it's a road we're committed to walking for as long as it takes.
In the upcoming months, we have lots of exciting news to share with our Barc London family.
We've already revealed a sneak peak of our next product launch, and more details on this will be provided shortly.
We also have plans for future events, and promise to continue to provide more information through content that educates and advocates for the protection of these beautiful animals we call our own. Watch this space!
