Anna’s London Marathon Fundraiser for NASAT

Because every dog deserves a safe start and a forever home

When a dog arrives at Norfolk & Suffolk Animal Trust (NASAT), their journey to a new life begins long before they meet their future family. Many arrive frightened, underweight, or simply confused about where they are. Some come from loving homes that could no longer keep them; others have never known kindness at all. But every single one is met with the same promise: you’re safe, and we’ll take care of you.

What most people never see is the quiet, meticulous, and costly work that happens behind the scenes — the work that makes that promise real.

Step One: A Safe Start

The moment a dog enters NASAT, they’re gently weighed, checked over for microchip, and given flea and worm treatment. It’s the first step in making sure they’re comfortable and protected from day one.

Step Two: Full Veterinary Check

Within days, each dog receives a full vet check to make sure everything is as healthy as we hope — and to uncover anything that isn’t. At this appointment, they receive all essential treatments, including:

• Vaccinations

• Kennel cough protection

• Microchipping

• Any immediate medical care they need

For some dogs, this is the first proper healthcare they’ve ever had.

Step Three: Neutering & Ongoing Care

After a few weeks, every dog is neutered. This is vital for their long‑term wellbeing and helps prevent future unwanted litters. Before going to their forever home, each dog also receives anti‑inflammatories and any additional medication or treatment they need to leave us healthy, comfortable, and ready for a fresh start.

And all of this happens as well as addressing any existing conditions — from skin issues to dental disease to long‑term illnesses that require ongoing support.

The Real Cost of a Second Chance

Caring for a dog properly isn’t cheap. On average, NASAT spends:

• Flea and worm treatment- £10-£20

• initial vet check- £40-£70

• Kennel cough vaccine £20-30

• Dog vaccinate- primary- 129.60

• microchip £10-£15

• spay or neutering £200-£400 (depending on size/sex)

• anti-inflammatories & basic meds £10-£30

• treatment for existing conditions £50-£500+

Even a healthy dog can cost £250–£400 before they’re ready for adoption. A dog with medical needs can cost several times that. But NASAT never turns a dog away because of cost — only because of space.

Why Anna Is Running

This year, Anna is taking on the London Marathon to raise vital funds so NASAT can keep saying “yes” to dogs who need us. Every mile she runs represents a dog who deserves a safe start, a warm bed, and a future filled with love.

Your donation — big or small — directly funds the treatments, care, and compassion that transform frightened arrivals into beloved family members.

Help Anna Give More Dogs Their New Beginning

By supporting Anna’s marathon challenge, you’re not just cheering her on. You’re helping a dog take their first steps toward a forever home.

Every pound truly makes a difference. Every dog deserves this chance. And with your help, they’ll get it.

(update- 03/03/2026)

Gary’s Story: The Boy Who Chose Love, and the Fight to Give Him the Life He Deserves

Gary’s Story: The Boy Who Chose Love, and the Fight to Give Him the Life He Deserves

When Gary arrived at Norfolk & Suffolk Animal Trust on Friday 6th February, he was little more than a shadow of a young German Shepherd — painfully skinny, jet black, and carrying the quiet uncertainty that so many stray dogs bring with them. But even in that moment, even before he had warmed up from the cold, Gary did something extraordinary.

He climbed straight into a volunteer’s lap.

Within minutes, he had stolen a heart. By the end of the day, he had stolen another. A volunteer who spent the afternoon sitting with him, comforting him, helping him settle, fell in love so deeply, and had a wish for a German shepherd just like Gary all her life, that she submitted an adoption application that very night. Gary had found his person — or perhaps, she had finally found him.

For a brief moment, everything looked perfect.

But just a week later, during one of his much loved walks, Gary began to limp. At first, we hoped it was a simple strain. After a couple of days’ rest, he seemed brighter, and his adoption date was set for Wednesday 25th March. His new life was waiting for him.

Then, two days before he was due to go home, before the adoption could be finalised Gary went lame again — this time with clear pain.

As Gary was still under our care and not yet the responsibility of his new owner, we booked him an emergency appointment at Gorleston Veterinary Hospital. His soon to be mum came with him, holding onto hope and his lead. The vet examined Gary gently, but their concern was immediate: his hips. The dreaded condition that affects so many German Shepherds — hip dysplasia.

His future adopter was devastated. But she didn’t walk away. She took Gary home that night for a sleepover, determined to give him warmth, comfort, and love while we sought answers.

A week later, x rays confirmed the worst. Gary’s knees were healthy — but both hips showed severe hip dysplasia. He will likely need two hip replacements, lifelong medication, supplements, and hydrotherapy. He is also at high risk of early onset arthritis.

For his new mum, the news was crushing. Not because she doubted her love for him or because she did not want to pay for his care— but because she feared she wouldn’t be able to afford all the thousands of pounds required to give Gary the pain free life he deserves. And because Gary’s diagnosis happened while he was still in our care, no insurance policy would cover him.

This is the moment where many families across the country face the impossible:

Keep the dog they love but cannot afford to treat…

or return them to rescue, heartbroken, so they can receive the care they need, but most likely would never have a home of his own again.

But Gary’s story didn’t end there.

Because of the kindness of donors and the legacies left to us, Norfolk & Suffolk Animal Trust were able to make a promise — that Gary would not face this alone. That his new family would not have to choose between love and financial ruin. That we would stand by him, and by them, every step of the way.

And that is exactly why the Wags & Wellbeing Vet Fund exists.

Without it, Gary’s future would be unthinkable. Without it, his family would have faced a choice no animal lover should ever have to make. Without it, Gary — a dog who has already known too much uncertainty — might have lost the home he had only just found.

Gary is not an isolated case. Across the country, families are struggling with rising vet costs. Dogs arrive with hidden conditions. Emergencies happen. And when they do, we step in to provide the emergency care they need — because every dog deserves a chance at a healthy, happy life.

But we cannot do it without you.

Your donation to the Wags & Wellbeing Vet Fund means dogs like Gary get the surgeries, treatments, and support they need to stay with the families who love them. It means no future adopter has to choose between heartbreak and financial hardship. It means hope, healing, and second chances.

Gary has already chosen his family and they will try their hardest and pay what they can afford but…

With your help, we can make sure he gets to keep them.