Hello, my name is Ashley Owens. I am 14 years old and live in Hertfordshire. On March 28th 2021, I started to raise money for abandoned dogs by camping out in my garden. I have been out there for nearly 1,000 nights and am really looking forward to reaching my goal of raising £30,000. 

My charity is Paws2Rescue - they are an incredible charity that is run totally by volunteers. They save the lives of so many dogs in Romania, have huge neutering programs and are starting to build a sanctuary and clinic in rural Timis, Western Romania. 

I know my goal of £30,000 is a lot, but I am determined to reach it. The money will pay for a roof for the new sanctuary and an outdoor activity area for the rescue dogs to play in a large safe environment. I know this is a lot of money to raise but I want the dogs to be safe, sheltered and fed. 

What is also incredible about Paws2Rescue is that they don't sop with just saving dogs lives. Paws2Rescue volunteers also are on the Ukraine and Romanian boarder with vets, helping with pets brought over by the Ukrainians and but also providing essential supplies to the Ukrainians sheltering at the Romanian monasteries.

When I started, it was really cold and the temperatures went down to -7c. I wore extra clothes, blankets and had a hot water bottle. Sometimes I would wake up and my nose felt frozen. In the summer the temperature peaked up to about 20c. Then the tent felt like a sauna and I wished it was cold again. It doesn’t matter what the weather is, I still camp out, always thinking about the poor dogs.

There are nights that are really difficult and I don’t want to go out. Rain is pouring down, winds are blowing or I just don’t feel that well. Then I think of the dogs. It doesn’t matter what I am going through, it’s the dogs that matter the most. I am determined to raise more money. Recently it has been so cold, down to -5c degrees, that I wake up a lot at night and feel tired at school the next day.

I chose to raise money for rescue dogs as I feel passionately about the welfare of animals, and dogs in particular. We have 3 dogs and my family has been fostering dogs from Cyprus for around 7 years. It’s tough looking after them because of the loud barking during the night and chewing 24/7. They are quite often scared and frightened because of their treatment before they arrive. Then I am sad to say goodbye, but I know we have helped save another dog's life.

Paws2Rescue, works tirelessly to save the lives of Romanian dogs. They rescue the dogs off the streets, bring them to the sanctuary. They also set up huge neutering programs across the world. Some of the fortunate ones will be rehomed in the UK.

Even just £1 helps towards building the roof and care for a dog!

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Update 5 November 2023: Congratulations to Paws2Rescue who not only have opened the dog sanctuary 'Sacred Hearts Sanctuary' this year but they are also celebrating their 10th year.