Leaving a gift in your will to Dogwatch is an enduring act of kindness that will make a huge difference to the lives of dogs in our care.
Why leave a gift to Dogwatch?
Dogwatch Sanctuary Trust has been rescuing and rehoming abandoned and surrendered dogs since 1982. For over 40 years, we have helped thousands of deserving dogs find their forever homes, adding a much-loved companion to families.
We also support our community. One of the most important ways we do this is through our desexing programme, offering desexing vouchers to dog owners who need assistance.
Dogwatch receives no government funding or support. We therefore rely on the generosity of individuals and funders, to help us fulfil our mission. By leaving a gift in your will, you will have a lasting legacy in helping to rescue and rehome dogs in need.
Bequests are crucial for Dogwatch, providing income and security for many years to come. Having a pledge or bequest left to us means we can focus on rescuing and rehoming dogs in need, supporting our community and promoting responsible dog ownership.
Dogwatch impacts the lives of people and dogs in many positive ways, but these are some of our key objectives and areas of focus:
Rescuing & Rehoming
Our primary objective is to rescue and rehome dogs in need. Many of our dogs come to us from Canterbury pounds, including Christchurch City, Waimakariri, Selwyn and Ashburton pounds. We focus on finding the best fit for our dogs, to ensure they have a happy and healthy life with their forever family.
Rehabilitation
Many of the dogs that come into our care arrive in poor condition. They have often been abandoned or surrendered, some mistreated and neglected. We do our utmost to meet their medical and behavioural needs, providing vet care and behaviour training. For some of our dogs, it is a long process to get them to trust in humans again and help prepare them for a life in a loving home.
Community Education & Outreach
We passionately believe in educating our community and supporting people towards responsible dog ownership. We offer a desexing programme, which provides desexing vouchers for dog owners who need our help. We also provide community assistance including dog food, beds, collars and leads. At Dogwatch, we have a volunteer base of over 100 people. We work hard to train and upskill our volunteers in dog handling, so they empower themselves and share their knowledge amongst the community.
Buildings and Maintenance
We’re proud of the work we do at Dogwatch and want our shelter and facilities to reflect this. By supporting us, we can ensure the upkeep and maintenance of our facilities is fit for purpose, as well as continually providing upgrades to best meet the needs of our dogs.
Making a gift in your Will
Before drafting your Will, we suggest consulting your family lawyer or a trustee firm (like the Public Trust or Perpetual Guardian Trust) to ensure your intentions are accurately recorded.
You will also need to tell them what kind of gift you would like to make. There are many options for leaving a legacy to Dogwatch, so you can choose which one best suits your needs:
- Residuary Bequest – here you make a gift of what is left over or a percentage thereof (the residue) in your estate after all expenses and debts have been settled and your loved ones have been provided for.
- Pecuniary Bequest – this means a specified sum of money in your Will is gifted to Dogwatch.
- Specified Bequest – this is where a particular item of value (for example stocks and shares, property or works of art) is gifted to Dogwatch in your will.
To make sure the wording in your Will accurately describes your intentions, we have provided some clauses for your lawyer to use in our information brochure.
The Lasting Pawprints Society
When you make a pledge to include Dogwatch in your will, we’ll invite you to join our Lasting Pawprints Society – a group of like-minded individuals, who care about the welfare of dogs.
Joining the Lasting Pawprints Society means we can say thank you during your lifetime and share our love for dogs with you. We can keep in touch and send you a copy of our newsletter, providing all our latest updates.
All pledges and gifts over $5,000 (or value of) come with the assurance for Dogwatch to help rehome your dog after you are gone. If you haven’t been able to make arrangements for your dog, ownership is able to be passed to Dogwatch and we will ensure your dog finds its next loving home.
Your gift is also able to be remembered with a special plaque in our Dogwatch memorial garden, or you are more than welcome to remain anonymous.
Our promise to you
Should you choose to remember Dogwatch in your will, these are the promises we will make to you:
- We will always respect your privacy. Writing or changing your Will is a private process – we will always treat your details with the utmost confidentiality
- We understand your loved ones come first
- We know that leaving a gift in your Will to Dogwatch is a big decision – so naturally you will want to do this in a timeframe that feels right for you
- We understand that circumstances can change – we respect your right to change your mind
- We promise to use your gift thoughtfully to ensure it has the greatest impact
- If you would like to be kept informed, we will keep in touch regularly with Dogwatch news
- If you choose to donate to use anonymously, we will respect your wishes
Our sincere thanks
Leaving a gift in your Will is a big decision, and we appreciate you’ll want to take your time to discuss it with your family and think it over.
If you decide to remember us in your Will, we would be grateful if you could let us know. Then we can thank you for your kindness and give you the opportunity to benefit from our Lasting Pawprints society.
If you would like to remain anonymous, we will make a note of that and absolutely respect your wishes.
Contact Us
Everyone is different and has different circumstances, so it’s important your gift in Will is right for you. Please feel free to contact us if you would like any assistance or have questions about leaving a legacy to Dogwatch.
Amelia Ryman
Fundraising Manager
amelia.ryman@dogwatch.co.nz
0273109730