A couple who founded an international dog charity after being involved in the response to a national tragedy is delivering an inspiring free public lecture at the University of Central Lancashire*.
Samantha and Mark Green, who worked on the London Underground on the day of the 7/7 bombings, will discuss how that day led to the creation of Dogstar Foundation in Sri Lanka.
The husband and wife will share their story and give insight on their approach to dog welfare on Monday 23 June as part of the official opening celebrations of the University’s new state-of-the-art School of Veterinary Medicine Building.
Samantha, who was awarded a British Empire Medal (Overseas and International) in the 2021 New Year's Honours List for services to Animal Welfare, and Mark didn’t set out to work in animal welfare.
They managed high-pressure, safety-critical operations as project managers on the Tube and following the deadly terrorist attack, they led a small team of specialist engineers supporting the police.
The Dog Now Standing on Platform 1; The Journey of Dogstar Foundation and a question-and-answer session is taking place on Monday 23 June
In this exceptional talk, they will share how that tragedy had a profound impact on the couple and how a chance meeting with a sick dog while travelling in Sri Lanka after the attack led to the creation of the charity, now internationally recognised for its practical, sustainable approach to animal welfare.
Drawing on personal experience, real-world data, success stories, and hard-learned lessons, Samantha and Mark will discuss the common assumptions about street dogs, resilience, and what effective welfare looks like.
They will also reflect on the challenges now facing the UK dog and cat welfare sector and how fresh thinking, inspired by innovation from lower-resource contexts, might help.
The Dog Now Standing on Platform 1; The Journey of Dogstar Foundation and a question-and-answer session is taking place in the Greenbank Lecture Theatre, on the University’s Preston Campus, from 6pm to 7.30pm.
Free tickets for the event are available to book now online.
*University of Central Lancashire is proudly changing to University of Lancashire
Photo courtesy of Richard Murgatroyd Photography