Cornwall’s Carly Ward launches Animal Squad for £1 a month

A rescue dog with an uncanny resemblance to a Moon Bear. A grief that wouldn’t quite settle. And now, a brand new charity betting that a pound a month, multiplied by thousands of people, can genuinely change things for animals that need help.

Animal Squad launches across England and Wales

Animal Squad, a newly established animal welfare charity founded by entrepreneur Carly Ward, is officially launching across England and Wales. Based in Cornwall, it has already grown into a team of ten, supported by three Trustees, with plans to bring in more board members as the organisation expands. An independent Grant Panel of five experienced business leaders, including a veterinary professional, sits alongside the team, with administrative support behind them.

Join the Squad from £1 a month

At the centre of the launch is a simple idea: join Animal Squad from just £1 a month. The whole model rests on the belief that lots of people doing a little adds up to more than a few people doing a lot.

“This isn’t about asking a few people to give a lot,” says Ward. “It’s about encouraging thousands of people to give a little. When small acts of kindness come together, they create something extraordinary.”

Rather than backing one species or one cause, Animal Squad pools every donation into a collective grant fund open to organisations working right across animal welfare, whether that means dogs, cats, horses, wildlife, rescue animals or other welfare work. As the fund grows, eligible organisations will be able to apply for grants, letting Animal Squad’s support reach further. The charity is launching in England and Wales first, with plans to take the model global further down the line. Individuals and businesses can both join, with a dedicated package for business partners and digital badges available for social media and marketing use.

The bear that started it all

The idea for Animal Squad goes back several years, to when Carly Ward first learned what happens to Moon Bears farmed for bile in China and Vietnam. She threw herself into fundraising for Animals Asia, the charity working to rescue and rehabilitate them, but the experience left her wanting to build something with a wider reach of her own.

That push came from an unexpected direction. After losing her childhood dog, Carly found the grief harder to shake than she expected, and wasn’t ready to commit to a new pet straight away. So she fostered instead, through the RSPCA, without asking for any particular breed. She was matched with a rescue dog named Bear.

“It was love at first sight,” she says. “After a year of fostering, Bear became a permanent member of the family and has been my rock ever since.”

Bear, as it turns out, bears a striking resemblance to a Moon Bear. Carly reads it as a sign she couldn’t ignore.

“It felt like everything had come full circle,” she explains. “That’s when the idea for Animal Squad truly began to grow.”

Animal Squad is asking people to donate or join from £1 a month, with more information available on the charity’s website.