The Charity Commission has launched a statutory inquiry into The Dog You Need.Com.
The Dog You Need.Com was set up to relieve the suffering and distress of sick, abused and/or mistreated animals in Europe by providing homes, care and treatment. Its purposes also include educating the public about animal welfare and the prevention of animal cruelty.
The Charity Commission escalated its engagement to a statutory inquiry after the trustees failed to act on an Official Warning. This had set out that the charity must supply all outstanding financial information for 2020, 2021 and 2023 and provide information about what financial controls are in place. Failure to comply with an Official Warning amounts to misconduct and/or mismanagement.
The regulator subsequently received accounts for financial year ending March 2020 which raised several areas of concern including a large number of cash expenses and incomplete record keeping.
The charity's accounts for subsequent years remain overdue which has raised further concerns that this could indicate a significant breach of trust or wider non-compliance with charity law.
The inquiry will examine the following charity regulatory issues:
the extent to which the charity's trustees are complying with their legal duties in respect of the administration, governance and management of their charity
if the trustees have adequate financial and strategic oversight of the charity and its activities
if there has been any misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees
The Commission may extend the scope of the inquiry if additional regulatory issues emerge.
Notes:
The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its ambition is to be an expert regulator that is fair, balanced, and independent so that charity can thrive. This ambition will help to create and sustain an environment where charities further build public trust and ultimately fulfil their essential role in enhancing lives and strengthening society.
