All of us at The Dogs Squad are very proud to announce that our recent fundraiser went extremely well. This was the first Open Day we have hosted at our Stowmarket branch so with a new crowd and location we were excitedly anticipating how it was going to go; and overall, it went well!

 

Multiple stalls were on display for both adults and children alike to enjoy. There were two local singers who performed the entertainment, who mixed both current songs with classic hits from various genres giving a venue a nice atmosphere to attract passers-by.

 

As well as the popular stalls from previous fundraisers at Ipswich such as the children’s games stalls, the water and wine game, and the dog show; there were new additions that the Stowmarket team brought to the event like:

 

- The arts and crafts area

- ‘Guess how many sweets are in the Jar?’ competition

- Facepainting

- A BBQ for hungry guests

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In addition to this, we were honoured to have The Greyhound Trust join us for the day. They also brought some of their lovely greyhounds with them who were looking for their forever homes. It was great to see all the greyhounds interact and meet some of our regular dogs who attend The Dogs Squad. Additionally, all the greyhounds got to have a free run of our enclosed site which, judging by the video they posted on Facebook, they seemed to enjoy. (You are more than welcome to all come back by the way!)

 

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2186590831819129

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Overall, we managed to raise just over £1000, which considering this is the first open day is an amazing amount of money that will be used to make our site more accessible for both dogs and members.

 

Mainly this money will be used for artificial grass to improve the aesthetics and general safety of the site, and items such as agility equipment to help the dogs with their training, co-ordination and to give them more entertainment while at our day care.

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SPECIAL MENTIONS:

 

Of course, none of this would be possible without the countless members of the public selflessly donating their time and effort to help make our vision work. We at The Dogs Squad are extremely thankful to everyone who helped out on the day and in the months building up. This includes:

 

Elly and Maria, who gave a very generous donation in the memory of their friend Lee Brunning.

 

Chris and Mel from We Love Pets coming down and bringing a few puppies with them. Puppies are always appreciated by everyone at The Dogs Squad.

 

All the dog owners from both Stowmarket and Ipswich branches who came down to support us. It was great to see the two branches interact with each other.

 

Ipswich Town F.C., who donated a signed Ipswich shirt for the raffle which undoubtedly generated a lot of interest. Many of our staff, volunteers and members are huge Ipswich Town supporters, and we are proud to have such a good relationship with our local football club.

 

All the staff, members and volunteers who spent the entire afternoon making the day a success!

 

We hope to see you next year at The Community Hub in Stowmarket on Saturday the 5th of September 2026 for the second annual open day.

 

On a personal note, make sure you try the chocolate cakes. I don’t know who made them this year but they were amazing…