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Animals · Reg 227523

Dogs Trust Legacy

39 /100

Clarity score

Poor

Charity accounts, evidence & financial rating

39/100 Clarity Score · 2 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Register checked 4 October 2026 · latest accounts 2024

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Quick answer

Is Dogs Trust Legacy a good charity?

Dogs Trust Legacy scores 39/100 (2 stars, Poor) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£67m total income, 53% cause spend, 3-yr avg). This reflects financial transparency and stewardship on paper — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown.

Income

£67m

Accounts 2024-12-31

Spending

£272m

Accounts 2024-12-31

Charitable activities

53%

3-yr avg · share of spending

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

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London · UK-wide · EC1V 7LT Reg 227523 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

What does Dogs Trust Legacy do?

Dogs Trust operates a network of rehoming centres across the UK; each provides dog accomodation, puppy houses, isolation blocks and treatment rooms.Dogs Trust provides financial assistance to allow owners in genuine need to have their dogs neutered through participating veterinary practices.Dogs Trust provides dog training and educational material on responsible dog ownership.

Activities reported by the charity on the official register · extract . This is separate from the accounts data used for its rating.

Dogs Trust Legacy hasn't added a description directly to CharityCompare yet. Work here? Add it free →

How much does Dogs Trust Legacy raise and spend?

Accounts period 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 · Source: Charity Commission filings

Dogs Trust Legacy revenue and expenses for 2024
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £67m —
Total expenditure £272m —
Charitable activities £47m 17%
Fundraising £22m 8%
Reported governance £390k 0%

Governance can already be allocated within other expenditure categories. It is not a separate measure of all administration costs; do not add these rows without checking the accounts notes.

What changed in Dogs Trust Legacy’s latest accounts?

Reported totals for 2024 compared with 2023. Changes can reflect the accounting period, restricted grants or restructuring as well as the charity’s work.

Income change
−50.5%
£136m → £67m
Spending change
+96.0%
£139m → £272m
Charitable activities share
−55.1 pp
72% → 17% · percentage points

These are annual figures. The Clarity Score may use averages across several disclosed years. Source: official accounts.

17%On charitable activities

Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2024) · £272m spent

  • Charitable activities17%
  • Fundraising8%
  • Governance0%
  • Remaining expenditure74%

From the annual return

What does Dogs Trust Legacy pay its staff, and where does its money come from?

Answers Dogs Trust Legacy gave in its annual return to the Charity Commission for the year ending 31 December 2024, plus its register entry. These are the charity's own disclosures, not part of the Clarity Score.

Where does Dogs Trust Legacy's money come from?

Dogs Trust Legacy reported £67m total income for the year ending 31 December 2024. The largest sources were donations and legacies £59m (88%), trading and fundraising events £4.8m (7%), charitable activities £1.4m (2%). Legacies (gifts in wills) contributed £30m.

  • Donations and legacies £59m · 88%
  • Trading and fundraising events £4.8m · 7%
  • Charitable activities (fees and contracts) £1.4m · 2%
  • Investments £1.2m · 2%
  • Other income £399k · 1%

Cash at year end: £314k · unrestricted funds: £268k · restricted funds: £0. Restricted funds can only be spent on purposes set by the donor.

Can I claim Gift Aid, and are the trustees paid?

The register records Dogs Trust Legacy as registered with HMRC for Gift Aid, so a UK taxpayer can usually add 25p to every £1 they give by making a Gift Aid declaration. Work out your Gift Aid

Dogs Trust Legacy's annual return for the year ending 31 December 2024 reports that no trustee received remuneration or other benefits from the charity.

Registration details

Registered as a charity
Previous names on the register
Dogs Trust; Ncdl; The National Canine Defence League
Where it says it operates
Throughout England and Wales · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Ireland · Scotland · Northern Ireland

Source: Charity Commission register and annual return data, Open Government Licence v3.0. A blank answer in the return is shown as not reported, never as “no”.

How have Dogs Trust Legacy's finances changed over five years?

Income rose 487% from £11m in 2020 to £67m in 2024; spending was £272m in 2024.

£0 £100m £200m £300m £400m 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Income 2020: £11m Spending 2020: £97m Cause spend 2020: £73m Income 2021: £119m Spending 2021: £103m Cause spend 2021: £74m Income 2022: £125m Spending 2022: £118m Cause spend 2022: £83m Income 2023: £136m Spending 2023: £139m Cause spend 2023: £100m Income 2024: £67m Spending 2024: £272m Cause spend 2024: £47m
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend
Dogs Trust Legacy income and spending by accounts year
Year Income Spending Charitable activities
2024 £67m £272m £47m
2023 £136m £139m £100m
2022 £125m £118m £83m
2021 £119m £103m £74m
2020 £11m £97m £73m

Cause spend is plotted only when the filing discloses a split · Source: Charity Commission filings

Financial context

How do its finances compare with similar charities?

Compare Dogs Trust Legacy with 14 other animals charities in our detailed dataset: the same regulator, £10m+ income band and accounts ending in 2024. Each period covers 50–54 weeks. These are reference points, not targets or a ranking of impact.

Swipe across the table to see the peer median and coverage.

Latest annual figures, accounts ending 2024-12-31. Peer medians exclude this charity; the median is the middle value.
MeasureThis charityPeer medianPeer coverage
Annual income £67m £38m 14 of 14
Annual spending £272m £37m 14 of 14
Charitable activities share 17.2% 72.8% 14 of 14

The annual spending share can differ from the multi-year average shown elsewhere. Missing disclosures are excluded, never counted as zero. We show a median only with at least ten peer disclosures. Different year-end months, restricted funding and delivery models can still limit comparisons.

How peers are selected Check this charity’s source accounts Choose between similar charities

How does Dogs Trust Legacy compare?

The share of each group scoring at or below Dogs Trust Legacy, including tied scores. A group matched on cause, income band and accounts year appears when at least ten records qualify. Broader groups below may mix reporting periods and operating models. Groups include this charity; percentiles measure our financial rating, not impact.

Same cause, income band and accounts year (2024) 7thpercentile

Scores at or above 7% of 15 charities with the same primary cause, income band and latest accounts year · 39/100 vs 72 peer average.

Income band (£10m+) 0thpercentile

Scores at or above 0% of 930 charities in its income band · 39/100 vs 77 peer average.

Animals charities 4thpercentile

Scores at or above 4% of 367 charities in this cause · 39/100 vs 75 peer average.

How does Dogs Trust Legacy compare, and where else can you look?

Compare Dogs Trust Legacy with others More animals charities How we score charities

Where Dogs Trust Legacy sits

The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby.

Similar animals charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

Evidence and interpretation

What the evidence says about Dogs Trust Legacy

In 2024, reported income was £67,323,001 and expenditure was £271,790,001. Expenditure exceeded income by £204,467,000. This annual balance is not the charity’s available cash or unrestricted reserves.

More financial context

Income fell 50.5% compared with 2023. Read the accounts notes for restricted grants, legacies and one-off receipts before treating the movement as a trend.

Calculated from our dated accounts dataset, refreshed 2026-09-06. This is not an audit or a manual review of every filing. Original register and accounts · How calculations work.

Find the right support

Who it supports and how to access its work

Reported beneficiaries: Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies; The General Public/mankind.

How it works: Makes Grants To Organisations; Provides Services; Provides Advocacy/advice/information; Sponsors Or Undertakes Research.

Use the official contact details to check eligibility, referrals, waiting lists and current service coverage. Broad register classifications and a contact address do not confirm that a particular service is available to you.

Explore source-checked support routes

Classifications supplied to the register; extract 2026-10-04. Register contact and activity details · Website listed for this charity

Look beyond the score

Results and impact evidence

We have not added a source-checked programme outcome for this charity. That is a gap in this profile, not evidence that the charity has no impact. Its annual report may contain results that have not been assessed here.

Reported grants to institutions: £6,535,017 (2024-12-31). This is spending reported in the annual return, not a measure of beneficiary outcomes or an open grant opportunity. It may already be included in charitable expenditure. Check the source accounts.

What these results can tell you

Counts of services delivered describe activity. They do not by themselves establish lasting change, what would have happened without the programme, or cost-effectiveness. Results with different definitions, populations or years should not be ranked against each other.

How to judge charity impact evidence

What is Dogs Trust Legacy's Beacon report?

Detailed accountability and finance metrics from UK regulator filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report.

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

68/100

Accountability & Transparency metrics for Dogs Trust Legacy
Metric Score Value
Filing history (5 years)

No recorded lateness in available history = 15 pts · one late filing = 5 pts · two or more or unknown status = 0 pts. Missing data is not proof of late filing.

 100% 15/15 pts
Trustee oversight

Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts, scaled down for fewer (governance red flag below three).

 33% 1 trustee · 5/15 pts
Declared policies

Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return.

 70% 7/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

13/100

Financial Health metrics for Dogs Trust Legacy
Metric Score Value
Reserves (months of expenditure)

3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years = 0 pts. Reserves are not necessarily cash; needs vary by operating model.

 0% 0 months · 0/15 pts
Income stability / growth

+20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between.

 0% 0/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets

0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt.

 80% 15% · 4/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

20/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for Dogs Trust Legacy
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below.

 10% 53% · 1/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency

≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (fundraising cost ÷ income).

 30% 30p per £1 income · 3/10 pts (3-year average, disclosed years)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

40/100

Community Support metrics for Dogs Trust Legacy
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between.

 40% 1,500 volunteers / 1815 staff · 4/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

What trust indicators does Dogs Trust Legacy have?

Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported.

  • Accounts filed on time

    up to date · last filing

  • Trustee board size (3–12)

    1 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    1815 employees · 1,500 volunteers (1:1 volunteer-to-staff)

Fundraising Regulator

Status not yet checked

Separate from our financial scores. Registration records a commitment to the Code of Fundraising Practice; it does not certify every fundraising activity.

Check Fundraising Regulator →

Official register

Reg 227523

Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Dogs Trust Trustee LTD since 2014

How reliable is Dogs Trust Legacy's data?

Source
Charity Commission (England & Wales)
Accounts year
2024
Filing date
Data refreshed

High confidence — complete filing data

Scores reflect the accounts in our dated data extract. The live register may contain newer filings. Clarity Score measures how clearly the charity accounts for money in those filings — not programme impact.

Check the current register entry · Report a data correction

Financial source extract: 2026-09-06. Organisation identifier: 227523. Method version: 1.1. View method changes.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Sources: Charity Commission for England and Wales, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Open Government Licence v3.0 .

Your donation decision

What should you check before donating to Dogs Trust Legacy?

  1. 1. Match the name and charity number

    Check 227523 on the official register. A real charity number alone does not prove that a fundraiser or appeal is authentic.

    Verify the registration →

  2. 2. Read the accounts in context

    Our latest accounts data covers 2024. Compare the accounts period, spending and reserves. An administration cost ratio alone cannot tell you how effective a charity is.

    Explore the financial evidence →

  3. 3. Look for evidence of results

    Read the trustees’ annual report for activities, outcomes and limitations. The Clarity Score measures public reporting; it does not establish the impact of a donation.

    How to read charity accounts →

  4. 4. Compare charities serving your cause

    Compare up to four charities, check the dates behind their figures, and decide which work you want to support. Complete your donation through a verified charity channel.

    Start a comparison with Dogs Trust Legacy →
How we score charities +

The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK regulator filings (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR and CCNI). Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10) — each scored on a continuous scale, not pass/fail cutoffs. A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically.

Full methodology →

Accountability & Transparency

Scored from filings

40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15, scaling up to a board of three or more), declared policies (10).

Financial Health

Scored from filings

30 points — reserves (15, full marks 3–24 months, tapering on both sides), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5, scaling down as debt rises).

Financial Efficiency

Scored from filings

20 points — program expense ratio and fundraising cost, each on a graduated scale (not a single cutoff). Kept at 20% of the total: financial-ratio scoring alone is not a reliable effectiveness signal (see "why not just an overhead ratio?" below).

Community Support

Scored from filings

10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data, scaling continuously up to a 2:1 ratio.

Overall score

Sum of all pillar points. Display stars use the same bands as the labels: 90–100 → 5★ Exceptional; 75–89 → 4★ Good; 60–74 → 3★ Needs improvement; 1–59 → 2★ Poor; 0 → not rated.

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What red flags does Dogs Trust Legacy have?

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Dogs Trust Legacy's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is Dogs Trust Legacy a good charity? +

Dogs Trust Legacy scores 39 out of 100 (2 stars — Poor) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 53% of its spending goes to charitable activities (3-yr avg) and its accounts are up to date. That reflects how transparent and financially healthy it looks on paper — it does not measure the real-world impact of its work, so treat it as one factor alongside the cause you care about. CharityCompare never tells you where to donate.

Is Dogs Trust Legacy a legitimate charity? +

The register data used for this profile lists Dogs Trust Legacy as a registered charity (charity number 227523). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regId=227523&subId=0. Check the current entry and the identity of anyone requesting money. Registration does not verify a particular appeal; Clarity Score summarises filing transparency, not programme impact.

What is Dogs Trust Legacy's charity number? +

Dogs Trust Legacy's charity number is 227523. Check that number on the official register (Charity Commission, OSCR or CCNI) or this CharityCompare profile before you donate — scammers sometimes reuse real numbers on fake appeals.

What is Dogs Trust Legacy's charity rating? +

Dogs Trust Legacy scores 39 out of 100 on CharityCompare (2 stars — Poor). The Clarity Score (method v1.1) sums four pillars from UK regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). Stars use the same bands as those labels — 90+ is 5★ Exceptional. It is not an impact ranking.

Does Dogs Trust Legacy have reviews and complaints? +

CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Dogs Trust Legacy. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts (2 red flags on this profile: insufficient trustee oversight; sharp income decline). For formal complaints about a charity, contact the Charity Commission, OSCR, CCNI or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate.

How much of my donation reaches Dogs Trust Legacy? +

Across the recent disclosed accounts used for this score, 53% of Dogs Trust Legacy's total spending went to charitable activities (3-yr avg across disclosed years). That is the closest official figure to "how much of your donation reaches the cause" — it is an average across all spending in the filing, not a pound-by-pound breakdown of an individual gift.

What are Dogs Trust Legacy's overheads? +

Across the recent disclosed accounts used for this score, fundraising costs were about 22% of total expenditure and fundraising plus separately reported governance figures amount to about 22% of expenditure (2022–2024, disclosed years); these categories can overlap, so this is not a distinct total of all administration costs at Dogs Trust Legacy. The register does not show individual salaries; senior pay is disclosed in the trustees' annual report and accounts.

How much income does Dogs Trust Legacy receive? +

Dogs Trust Legacy reported £67m total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: check comparability.

Are Dogs Trust Legacy's accounts up to date? +

Filing status: up to date (last filing 2025-10-24). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.

Where is Dogs Trust Legacy based? +

Dogs Trust Legacy's registered contact address is in London (EC1V 7LT). It tells the regulator it operates in England and Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland, with a focus on animals.

Where does Dogs Trust Legacy's money come from? +

Dogs Trust Legacy reported £67m total income for the year ending 31 December 2024. The largest sources were donations and legacies £59m (88%), trading and fundraising events £4.8m (7%), charitable activities £1.4m (2%). Legacies (gifts in wills) contributed £30m.

Can I claim Gift Aid on a donation to Dogs Trust Legacy? +

The register records Dogs Trust Legacy as registered with HMRC for Gift Aid, so a UK taxpayer can usually add 25p to every £1 they give by making a Gift Aid declaration.

Are Dogs Trust Legacy's trustees paid? +

Dogs Trust Legacy's annual return for the year ending 31 December 2024 reports that no trustee received remuneration or other benefits from the charity.

What was Dogs Trust Legacy previously called? +

The register lists these previous names for Dogs Trust Legacy: Dogs Trust; Ncdl; The National Canine Defence League.

When was Dogs Trust Legacy registered as a charity? +

Dogs Trust Legacy was entered on the register on 7 June 1963.

How does CharityCompare score Dogs Trust Legacy? +

We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Dogs Trust Legacy's regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 points — filing history, trustees, policies), Financial Health (30 — reserves, income trend, debt), Financial Efficiency (20 — cause spend and fundraising cost, on a graduated scale) and Community Support (10 — volunteer-to-staff ratio). An open statutory inquiry scores 0. The score measures reporting on paper, not programme impact. CharityCompare is free for donors, takes no commission on donations, and scores cannot be bought.

How often is this page updated? +

This profile was last updated on 6 September 2026 from the latest UK regulator data available to CharityCompare, and Dogs Trust Legacy's most recent accounts cover 2024. Scores and figures refresh whenever we re-ingest the register, so the page reflects our latest data pull rather than a one-off review.