Helping a disabled dog regain mobility is something worth celebrating. Providing wheelchairs, equipment and financial support to an overseas animal rescue can make a genuine difference.
But when a registered charity publicises an international mission, appeals for donations and receives favourable television coverage, the public is entitled to understand precisely what happened, what was achieved and how charitable funds were used.
That brings us to Pumpkin and Friends Charity’s October 2026 trip to Romania, and a disabled dog named Aslan.
WHY WERE WHEELCHAIRS HELD AT CUSTOMS?
On 25th September 2026, Pumpkin and Friends Charity appealed on Facebook for someone travelling to Romania to transport wheelchairs to an animal rescue. The charity stated that it had already attempted to send wheelchairs by post, but that they had been held by Romanian customs and could not be released.
On 27th September, the charity identified Aslan, a disabled dog being cared for by Negri’s Place Dog Rescue, as one of the intended recipients. It announced that representatives would travel to Romania with a replacement wheelchair and additional equipment.
WHAT ABOUT RESCUE AND REHABILITATION?
On 29th September, the charity announced that flights had been booked and “We can’t wait to meet the incredible team at Negri’s Place dog rescue…” on 7th October. The charity described its intention to meet the team at Negri’s Place Dog Rescue, fit Aslan with a wheelchair and provide further mobility equipment to other disabled animals.
So what went from popping a few wheelchairs in the post soon turned into an announcement that representatives from Pumpkin and Friends Charity would be travelling to Romania, In the end this resulted in just one person, Trustee Richard Blogg travelling to Romania.
Despite its official Charity Commission description including “Rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of disabled animals,” Pumpkin & Friends Charity made no mention of rescuing, rehabilitating or rehoming Aslan.
Read our Rescue, Rehabilitation and Rehoming page here.
WHEN TEN BECOMES THREE
On 4th October, Pumpkin and Friends Charity stated that Trustee Richard Blogg would be taking ten wheelchairs in total to Romania. The charity said it was covering the costs of the wheelchairs and travel, by charity they meant public donations, while seeking donations towards the Romanian rescue’s ongoing veterinary expenses.
By 6th October, ten wheelchairs had become three. This was mentioned again on 8th October. Why the sudden change? What happened to the other seven? When fundraising figures matter, accuracy matters too. Giving supporters the impression that a trip involves taking ten wheelchairs is very different from taking three.
WHY ROMANIA AND WHY NEGRI’S PLACE?
Why did CEO Tammie Fox and Trustee Richard Blogg choose Romania, specifically Negri’s Place, and why now?
We have received evidence from Broken Biscuits Charity, an actual rescue, which we believe shows over four years of harassment, abuse, trolling and instances in which it believes its work has been copied by those responsible for Pumpkin and Friends Charity. This is particularly relevant because Broken Biscuits Charity has a longstanding history of supporting Romanian rescues, including Negri’s Place.
Broken Biscuit Charity’s work has also extended its charitable work much further. During much of 2026, its representatives have travelled repeatedly between the UK and China to rescue and rehabilitate dogs saved from the dog meat trade. The big difference here is that Broken Biscuits took a team of vets with them to perform surgeries and train staff.
Why did Pumpkin and Friends Charity state that Richard Blogg would be providing training on how to fit wheelchairs when Negri’s Place are very familiar with fitting and adjusting wheelchairs, expressing bladders, complicated assisted needs – you could say Negri’s Place are disabled dog experts?
ERNIE THE ROMANIAN RESCUE
On 2nd October, Tammie Fox reminded everyone that she’d adopted Ernie from Romania in 2023 and described Romanian rescue dogs as a cause particularly close to her heart. But what did that actually translate into for Pumpkin and Friends Charity?
Between Ernie’s adoption in 2023 and the October 2026 trip, what support had Tammie Fox and Pumpkin and Friends Charity shown Romanian rescues? Aside from loaning wheelchairs to dogs already in the UK and promoting the work of rescues, we couldn’t find any direct assistance or support of Romanian rescues.
This post also referred to the tragic deaths of two British women in Romania. We question why such a deeply distressing event was brought into their Romania trip. The deaths of these women were a tragedy, not a PR opportunity. What relevance did their deaths have to the charity’s mission, and why were they included in its appeal?
AN HORRENDOUS SITUATION – WHY NOT RESCUE?
On 3rd October, Pumpkin and Friends Charity published a fundraising appeal describing the situation for animals in Romania as horrendous. The public was asked to help, and people responded generously, donating food, supplies and money towards the mission. The appeal created an expectation that the charity was going to make a meaningful difference to animals in desperate need.
If the situation for animals in Romania was so desperate, why wasn’t rescue and rehabilitation part of the Charity’s mission? After all, many rescues in the UK bring dogs to the UK for rehabilitation and rehoming and Pumpkin and Friends Charity have received extensive publicity and donations off the back of their work.
On 9th October, Trustee Richard Blogg was back in the UK, hailed a hero, following a trip of just two nights. There was no announcement that the charity had plans to bring Aslan, or any other disabled dog, back to the UK to undertake that work. There were however multiple announcements that the public had so generously donated supplies, which were being collected by a Happy Bus.
A further post about Negri’s Place running out of food raised alarm bells especially as it stated the rescue was feeding the dogs bread. If a rescue can’t afford the basics for the animals in their care, costly veterinary treatment for disabled dogs is going to be impossible. Anyone who saw Aslan’s plight would understand that this dog desperately needed to be brought to the UK for expert veterinary care. He certainly needed more than just a wheelchair.
Supporters gave generously in response to an appeal about animals in dire circumstances. They are entitled to ask what the charity itself actually delivered beyond equipment, supplies and publicity.
AND NOW WE KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT ASLAN
We are now in receipt of evidence received directly from Negri’s Place.
“Nobody offered to have him in uk Maybe because he is very big boy.”
Now we know the truth. Despite constantly posting about Aslan on their social media pages and using him to trigger donations for a brief Romanian trip, Pumpkin and Friends Charity made no attempt to bring him to the UK. If they truly cared so much about Aslan where was the fundraiser to bring him to the UK? Despite Richard Blogg admitting on a ‘Live’ on 3rd November that Pumpkin & Friends Charity is not a rescue, surely they had enough contacts in the rescue world to secure a foster home for him here. Failing that, surely having raised £135,396.35 for their supposed Retreat and Respite Centre, they could have spared a couple of thousand pounds to bring this poor boy to the UK for the veterinary care he clearly needs. It was blindingly obvious that Aslan needed more than just a wheelchair but alas, a wheelchair is all he got.
Interestingly, just hours after contacting Negri’s Place about Aslan, their social media account was blocked from Pumpkin and Friends Charity’s, Pumpkin the Wheelie Westie Warrior’s and Negri’s Place’s Facebook pages. Once again, ask a simple question and immediately get blocked, but it is curious that Negri’s Place felt the need to block as well.
DID ITV CALENDAR DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE?
On 20th October 2026, ITV Calendar broadcast a report featuring Aslan and Pumpkin and Friends Charity’s support for Negri’s Place. Yet again, where was ITV Calendar’s scrutiny and due diligence?
ITV Calendar has a history of providing favourable publicity to Pumpkin and Friends Charity, despite the considerable controversy surrounding its previous decision to select Tammie Fox and Richard Blogg as recipients of a TUI holiday on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. We will be examining that decision and the circumstances surrounding it separately as part of our wider investigation.
The media’s failure to adequately scrutinise the charity forms a significant part of our investigation, and we will continue to question why favourable coverage appears to come without sufficiently probing the claims being presented.
We do not question the value of helping Romanian rescues or Aslan. We question the accuracy, completeness and verification of the story presented to the public. Donors deserve transparency, and viewers deserve proper journalism.
A heartwarming television story is not a substitute for evidence, transparency and accountability.