For years, I had supported NoToDogMeat, watching in admiration as Julia, Mr Zhao and their small team risked everything to save dogs and cats from one of the cruellest trades imaginable. Julia has sacrificed more than most people could ever comprehend to build this remarkable charity, even selling her family home to keep its mission alive. Alongside Mr Zhao and the rescue team, she regularly puts her own safety at risk, confronting the criminals who steal beloved pets, breed animals for profit, imprison them in horrific conditions and condemn them to unimaginable cruelty, all for financial gain. Their courage has given thousands of innocent animals a second chance at life.
In 2016, we inherited my mum’s beautiful rescue Labrador, Millie, after my mum became seriously ill and sadly passed away. Millie quickly became far more than a family pet. Like so many dogs do, she had an extraordinary way of bringing comfort simply by being there. Her unwavering companionship, gentle nature and unconditional love were a quiet reminder of the remarkable ability dogs have to heal hearts without ever saying a word. We were blessed to share eight wonderful years with her, and every day was a gift.
When Millie passed away at the age of fifteen, the house felt impossibly quiet. We waited a year before considering another dog. We wanted to honour everything she had given us by offering another dog the same chance that Millie herself had once been given.
When we began to consider adopting again, NoToDogMeat was the first place we looked. We had followed their work for years and understood the reality behind the dogs in their care. We also knew that if we were going to bring another dog into our home, it would be one whose story began with survival.
We were especially drawn to adopting a larger dog rescued from the dog meat trade in China, where the fate of stolen or bred dogs and cats is often beyond anything most people could imagine. For these animals, life is rarely kind from the start, and for larger breeds, the situation is even more difficult, with restrictions or bans in some major cities such as Beijing making rehoming within China incredibly challenging and often unsafe.
Labradors have always held a deep place in my heart. I have been surrounded by them since I was three years old, and they have been a constant thread through different chapters of my life. There is something about their gentleness, their loyalty, and their quiet way of staying close that has never left me.
I filled in the adoption form and submitted my interest, and I was genuinely overjoyed to pass the necessary checks and be accepted by NoToDogMeat. Not long after, I received photos and videos of their small “pack” of rescued Labradors.
Seeing them for the first time was overwhelming. Each one carried their own story in their eyes, and it was impossible not to feel drawn to all of them. If circumstances had allowed, I would have brought every single one home.
But that wasn’t possible. We could only choose one.
Among them was a pale Labrador who quietly stood out. There was something about her that stayed with us long after the videos ended. We named her Daisy because her coat was so light she looked almost white, soft and delicate against everything she had already endured.
She had been rescued by Julia and the team from a large truck packed with dogs, intercepted on its way to a slaughterhouse. A moment away from a brutal end, her story was instead given a different path entirely.
We are a family of four, and in September our youngest son left for university, marking the beginning of our time as “empty nesters” during term time. With my business based at home, our children had become increasingly concerned that I would be spending too much time alone, and they gently encouraged us to consider bringing another dog into our lives.
We never wanted to buy a puppy. With so many abused, abandoned and unwanted dogs already in the world, and overbreeding still so widespread, it never felt like the right path for us. Rescue felt like the only choice that made sense.
We finally met gorgeous Daisy at the end of November 2025, and it truly felt like a match made in heaven.
Like many rescue dogs, Daisy arrived carrying both visible and invisible scars. She was suffering from severe yeast dermatitis and recurring ear infections, conditions often worsened by prolonged stress and trauma. Almost immediately, we began skin washes, ear drops, and a carefully managed low-allergen diet.
Fortunately, she responded quickly to treatment. Within a few weeks, her skin began to heal, and her fur slowly started to grow back.
Today, Daisy has the most beautiful, thick, soft, pale coat. We often think she may have some Golden Retriever in her as well, given the texture and colour of her fur. With her large, expressive brown eyes, she has a gentle presence that often reminds us of a baby harp seal, soft and almost impossibly endearing.
Daisy was understandably nervous at first around unfamiliar men and other animals of a similar size or larger. But over time, her confidence began to grow. With the patience of kind local dog owners who allowed her to approach them and their dogs at her own pace, on her own terms, she slowly learned that the world could be safe. Today, she is sociable and affectionate, happily greeting new people and even growing comfortable around the large-horned cattle that wander our local ranges, although she is still building confidence around horses.
Many people in our community now know Daisy’s story, as well as the work of NoToDogMeat, and she has become something of a gentle ambassador for rescue dogs everywhere. Her naturally friendly, inquisitive and playful nature has a way of charming everyone she meets.
It also became clear very quickly that Daisy had once been a much-loved companion. The day after she arrived, still confused and unsettled, she spotted a tennis ball and something in her completely changed. Her whole body lit up with joy, and it was obvious she understood the game instinctively. She is an expert ball catcher, and it feels as though that part of her never left.
She also has the most endearing quirks. When we speak to her while cuddling her, she often responds with soft squeaks and sounds, as though she is joining the conversation. She carefully selects toys from her toy box depending on her mood, and sometimes even puts them back away herself, as if tidying up after play.
Daisy has recently been diagnosed with elbow dysplasia and is currently receiving treatment, including steroid injections, alongside a programme of very short lead-only walks and weekly physiotherapy and hydrotherapy treadmill sessions to rebuild her strength gradually. Our aim is to help her return to a level of activity she can enjoy comfortably, without causing pain or lameness.
We suspect her previous life may have included excessive ball chasing from too young an age, which can sometimes contribute to joint issues such as elbow dysplasia. Fortunately, she still enjoys gentler games, especially searching for hidden toys and treats, which she approaches with just as much enthusiasm and intelligence.
We are so lucky and privileged to have Daisy, and although we rescued her, she has also rescued me in ways I could never have anticipated.
The past few years have been incredibly difficult. I have lost all the members of my childhood family, including both of my brothers in traumatic circumstances, my twin brother just two years ago. There are no real words for that kind of loss. It changes everything.
Grief takes almost everything from us. It can feel as though time has stopped completely, while the rest of the world continues to move forward without you. It is something I found far harder to navigate than I ever imagined, and something that no amount of counselling could fully reach.
Then Daisy arrived.
Quietly, without knowing anything about the weight I was carrying, she brought something back into my life that I thought had gone for good. A reason to get up, to move forward, and to feel present again in small, ordinary moments.
In many ways, she did more for me than years of counselling ever could.
Her gentle, sociable nature, joy of life, love of everyone she meets and her ability to ‘live in the moment’ are something we can all learn from. If only all humans could be like that too.
The true meaning of rescuing a dog is not simply giving an animal a home; it is choosing to stand in the fragile space between suffering and hope. All our dogs are based in China, rescued from the dog meat trade, and many arrive carrying experiences no living being should ever endure, marked by fear, uncertainty, and a deep mistrust of the world around them.
I have nothing but praise and admiration for you brave souls.I could not do what you do,I’d have to arm myself to kill the evil brutes perpetuating this cruelty.So instead I give a monthly donation with a little extra when asked, to help you in your Godly mission.
I love you all and appreciate so much what you are doing.May God Bless You!❤️