'We stand up for animals who do not have a voice'

A volunteer-led organization, Food Fairies, which provides sustenance and sterilization services for stray cats and dogs both domestically and internationally, has been nominated for a BBC Make a Difference Award.

Sammy Cullis and her husband, Dave, established Food Fairies in Swindon in 2019, originating from a single social media post by Sammy Cullis that same year. The organization officially attained charity status last year.

The charity's efforts include feeding and re-homing stray animals within Wiltshire. Beyond local initiatives, Food Fairies dispatches thousands of kilograms of food to shelters in Romania and financially supports neutering programs.

Cullis stated, "We don't do this because we want praise, we do this because we want to stand up for the cats and dogs that desperately need a voice."

Her family's journey with stray animals began in 2011 when they adopted a stray dog. Cullis, despite being allergic to numerous breeds, noted that they developed a deep affection for them thereafter.

In 2019, she posted on Facebook, inquiring if anyone would be willing to contribute pet food for homeless animals. She recalled, "A plethora of beautiful people came forward saying they'd like to be involved."

Currently, the charity operates with a "family" of volunteers. These individuals dedicate their time to collecting, sorting, and packaging food donations, managing a second-hand pet shop where donated items are sold, and even serving as foster carers for dogs awaiting rehoming.

Cullis emphasized the crucial role of foster carers, stating, "We couldn't run without a group of foster carers; it's very important to us to have people who are experienced and able to assess dogs, so they are vital." She added, "For them to see the dogs' progress is really quite life changing and very rewarding." Cullis also noted the strong bond among volunteers, saying, "We've all become a really big family, really. I know it sounds corny, but it's true, we're all very close."

The charity also sends donated food packages and supports sterilization programs in Romania, a country with a significant stray dog population. Cullis detailed their international efforts: "We send between 16,000 and 20,000kg of feed to Romania every year from donations that have been sorted, packed and weighed by our volunteers and sent over to the dogs and cats that live on the streets or call shelters their home."

She clarified that their domestic work primarily focuses on dogs due to the abundance of cat homes and charities in their vicinity.

Looking ahead, Cullis expressed the charity's desire to "focus more on the sterilisation of animals worldwide and to continue to take in medical supplies and food," while also maintaining the rescue and rehoming of a small number of dogs locally.