Leaving a legacy

To date, we have managed to save well over 950 Sighthounds. We are a small rescue, solely foster based and we are incredibly proud of our work and our hounds who have braved so much and gone onto live wonderful, happy lives. We couldn’t have done this without immense dedication, passion, and the help of all our volunteers and supporters.

Without your help, many of these hounds would never see daylight, never know anything but a concrete floor, and they would never know anything but sadness, fear and pain.  Sadly, the suffering and abandonment of Sighthounds has not eased - quite the opposite. We have seen some of the most disturbing cases of neglect and abuse in recent times. Our work can be hard and full of highs and lows, but with your help, we can give these extraordinary hounds hope and the life they always deserved.

Thankfully, due to the kindness and support of the public, including our amazing adopters, who share our vision, we are able to just about keep afloat, though there are certainly times things get a little hairy!

Leaving a legacy is an amazing act of kindness and can go towards food, bedding, emergency medical treatment, transport, neutering, microchipping, specialist treatment, x-rays, cancer treatment, etc. You can play a huge part in a hound’s journey to love and happiness. You can literally save a life, or even several many.

How can I leave a legacy?

Should you wish to leave our hounds a gift in your Will, then you would need to seek professional advice, i.e. a Solicitor or Will-writer. If you have already written your will, and wish to amend it, to include a gift to us, then you can do this easily, by way of codicil, which a solicitor can assist you with.

 There are three main types of gift you can leave:

• A residuary legacy is a percentage of whatever is left over from an estate after debts, funeral expenses, administration costs, and all other gifts have been paid. This can be any percentage you like. Many people choose this type of gift as it ensures their loved ones are taken care of first.

• A pecuniary legacy is a fixed sum of money that can be any amount, big or small.

• A specific legacy is a gift of a particular item, such as property or an item of jewellery.

Some suggested wording for including Lurcher SOS in your will:

I give the whole/sum of £ (or specify percentage of estate) to Lurcher SOS, (add address)

for its general purpose and I express the wish but without creating any binding trust that this legacy be used absolutely for its general charitable purposes and I declare that the receipt of the honorary treasurer or other proper officer of the said Lurcher SOS for the time being shall be a full and sufficient discharge for the said legacy.

In Memory giving

We have received some very special donations from people who have lost loved ones, some of whom had supported us during their life.

Some people have arranged collections at funerals, or asked for donations to Lurcher SOS, instead of flowers. It seems that more and more people are supporting charities in memory of their loved ones, as part of keeping their memory alive.