Before we share Sally’s testimony, we want to make something clear about the woman behind it. Sally has a long history of rescuing, caring for and advocating for disabled dogs. She is passionate about animal welfare, fiercely protective of the animals in her care and unafraid to speak her mind.
Is Sally outspoken? Absolutely. Has she sometimes said things that others might consider inappropriate? Quite possibly. But this investigation is not about whether we agree with everything Sally Finnigan has ever said or written. It is about what happened after she made what appeared to be a straightforward, factual comment on Facebook concerning Pumpkin and Friends Charity’s ability to contribute towards veterinary treatment for a disabled dog in her care.
Because whatever anyone thinks of Sally’s personality or choice of words, those opinions should not determine whether her experiences deserve to be heard.
THE COMMENT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Before the dispute began, Sally Finnigan and Tammie Fox had been in contact regarding Teddy, a disabled dog who needed veterinary treatment. Pumpkin and Friends Charity had previously contributed £285 towards Teddy’s rescue transfer costs, had helped secure a reduction in vet costs, and had arranged for loan wheels to be sent. However, Sally understood that the charity was unable to help fund Teddy’s amputation.
On 8th June 2024, Sally posted an appeal on Facebook seeking help towards Teddy’s amputation costs. Someone added a comment asking whether Pumpkin and Friends Charity could help. Sally’s response was simply: “@name no 😔 xx”
That was it. A brief reply to a straightforward question, reflecting what Sally understood she had already been told. We believe this was the moment everything changed.
What followed was a disagreement that escalated far beyond Teddy’s veterinary treatment. There were demands for a public apology, hostile and deeply personal legal correspondence, allegations surrounding what appeared to be the copying of Sally’s Wonky Wear designs, and a sustained barrage of attacks across social media that Sally says pushed her to the brink.
CORRESPONDENCE FROM HEAD OF LEGAL
On 22 June 2024, Sally Finnigan received an email from Steve Bark-Turner, identified in the correspondence as Head of Legal at Pumpkin and Friends Charity. Whilst we will not be publishing the email in its entirety, we have reproduced an extract below to give readers an indication of its tone and the demands being made of Sally.
“Legally I do not appreciate you tarnishing the charity’s caring reputation, by saying we won’t help. I request that you remove these erroneous statements and acknowledge the help we have provided you and Teddy so far. I expect you to reply to this email with a formal apology and expressing your thanks for the help provided to date.”
On 19th July 2024, Sally Finnigan received a further email from Steve Bark-Turner. Again, whilst we will not be publishing the full email, we have included below an extract which we believe sets context to what was to follow.
“It was from this point onwards that you showed your true toxic and narcissistic personality and nature. You get some sort of unnatural pleasure from undermining other people, concluding, in your mind, that you are always right.
Going forward let me make the position crystal clear. You are a person of interest, and the charity’s team is closely monitoring your social media communications. Please be advised that I will not hesitate to take action, or support the actions of others that seek to call you into question over comments made. Please be advised that I am legally bound to provide evidence to the policing authorities in support of any case they may build or be building against you and your activities.
I turn now to the support that the charity provided. The charity provided it to benefit poor little Teddy and are happy that they did so. With regards to the wheels provided with no weekly reporting requirements, as would normally be the case with loan wheels. The charity has decided to take the moral high ground and donate those wheels for Teddy’s benefit. In the charity’s opinion Teddy should not suffer as a result of your toxic/narcissistic nature. The charity will have no further connection with you and will retain this email, which may be published in response to any further attack you either personally make and/or support.”
IS THIS REALLY ACCEPTABLE CONDUCT FROM SOMEONE ACTING AS A CHARITY’S HEAD OF LEGAL?
Let’s be absolutely clear. This was not simply a strongly worded email addressing a disagreement. It contained deeply personal insults, accusations about Sally Finnigan’s character, references to police involvement and an explicit statement that the charity’s team was closely monitoring her social media activity. We consider the language appalling, intimidating and wholly inappropriate in correspondence sent on behalf of a registered charity.
It is also important to note that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has confirmed that Steve Bark-Turner is not a practising solicitor. That distinction matters when readers are considering the authority conveyed by the title Head of Legal.
And what about the person receiving this correspondence? Sally has numerous disabled dogs depending on her for their daily care. She says this email caused her enormous stress and anxiety. Imagine receiving correspondence like this, knowing that you have vulnerable animals relying on you, and being told that a charity’s team is monitoring your online activity while references are being made to possible police action against you.
What possible justification was there for calling Sally “toxic” and “narcissistic” in an email sent in a legal capacity? How did a disagreement over a Facebook comment about veterinary funding warrant this level of personal hostility? And do the trustees of Pumpkin and Friends Charity genuinely consider this an acceptable way to treat someone involved in rescuing and caring for disabled dogs?
We believe Sally Finnigan deserves answers. And we believe the public deserves to know whether this is the standard of conduct Pumpkin and Friends Charity considers acceptable from someone representing it as Head of Legal.
SALLY’S WONKY WEAR BUSINESS
On 15th March 2024, Tammie Fox emailed Sally Finnigan enquiring about her Wonky Wear, Sally’s small business specialising in bespoke clothing for disabled dogs – this was the first time Sally and Tammie had ever been in contact. Tammie Fox subsequently ordered two custom-made harnesses for Pumpkin. In June, she publicly thanked the company, sharing photographs of Pumpkin wearing one of its harnesses as well as close-ups clearly showing the designer’s label. That post now appears to have been deleted.
Fast-forward to around February 2025. Photographs of Pumpkin wearing what appear to be the same distinctive harnesses began appearing extensively across Pumpkin & Friends’ social media and even on the Pumpkinmobile — but the original Wonky Wear labels were no longer visible. One photograph of Pumpkin in her distinctive monkey harness also appeared in a Lincolnshire Live article about a visit to Jodie Marsh’s Fripps Farm, with the Wonky Wear label visible, but subsequent photographs show no Wonky Wear label.
Around the same period, Tammie Fox announced a collaboration with Booskips to produce personalised wheelchair harnesses and belly bands — and Booskips subsequently appear to have used strikingly similar designs in the material used for their own products. We also understand that concerns about the situation were raised directly with Booskips, but that those concerns were not taken on board. Following the launch of Pumpkin and Friends Charity’s collaboration with Booskips, associates of the charity began ‘hijacking’ Sally’s Wonky Wear business.
QUESTION FOR TAMMIE FOX: Why did Wonky Wear’s original labels cease to be visible on Pumpkin’s harnesses, and how do you explain the striking similarities between Sally Finnigan’s designs and those subsequently promoted through your collaboration with Booskips? Were Sally Finnigan’s designs or products used as inspiration, and if so, was her permission sought? We believe Sally deserves a clear and transparent explanation.
THE SMEAR CAMPAIGN, TARGETING AND HARASSMENT OF SALLY FINNIGAN
Between us, we have spent decades each involved in dog welfare. During that time, we have investigated and exposed the worst of the worst. We have witnessed cruelty, deception, bullying and conduct that most decent people would struggle to comprehend. We have also been on the receiving end of relentless trolling, personal attacks and attempts to intimidate us into silence.
We are not easily shocked. We know only too well how vicious the world of animal welfare can become when personalities clash, questions are asked and uncomfortable truths are brought into the open.
But in all our years of experience, we have NEVER encountered anything quite like the sustained hostility we have witnessed towards individuals who have found themselves on the wrong side of Tammie Fox, Richard Blogg and those associated with them – we can now include ourselves in that statement. In the case of Sally Finnigan, what began as a seemingly innocuous Facebook reply about veterinary funding appears to have escalated into something far more personal, far more aggressive and, in our view, deeply disturbing.
We have reviewed material documenting repeated personal attacks, allegations about Sally’s character and mental wellbeing, and online activity that Sally describes as a sustained campaign of harassment and intimidation. We will not be publishing every piece of evidence in our possession.
Firstly, because the sheer volume of material would make this investigation almost impossible to read. And secondly, because some of what we have seen is so deeply personal, cruel and distressing that we see no justification for reproducing it all and subjecting Sally to that humiliation again.
Instead, we will present a selection of examples that we believe illustrate the nature and seriousness of what Sally has experienced including a post from CEO Tammie Fox claiming Sally Finnigan was a fake profile. Readers can examine that evidence and draw their own conclusions. But we ask one question before they do: at what point does a disagreement stop being a disagreement and become a sustained attempt to break another human being?
THE FACEBOOK PAGE ‘SIMON SAY’ — WHO WAS REALLY BEHIND IT?
Around May 2025, a Facebook page called ‘Simon Say’ appeared. Having examined the evidence available to us, we firmly believe there was a connection between this page and individuals associated with Pumpkin and Friends Charity. We also have strong grounds to believe we know who was behind it.
We will not be naming that individual. Our conclusions are based on the evidence we have reviewed, although we acknowledge that the identity of the person operating the page has not been independently established. Facebook subsequently removed the page. We cannot confirm the reason for its removal.
We have published screenshots from ‘Simon Say’ so readers can see the material for themselves and understand why we consider it relevant to the treatment of Sally Finnigan.
THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE READERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT SALLY FINNIGAN.
Sally has experienced unimaginable personal tragedy. Sally says Tammie Fox was aware of this. Yet, according to Sally, the personal attacks continued, including comments about her mental wellbeing.
During 2026, Sally has also suffered significant health problems. We cannot establish that these illnesses were caused by the events described in this investigation. However, given the prolonged stress Sally says she has endured, the possibility that stress may have affected her wellbeing cannot simply be dismissed.
If you’d like to support Sally’s rescue Wonky Warriors, click here. If you’d like to purchase from Wonky Wear, click here.