On Friday 7th November 2008 Animal Friends Insurance took a table at London’s stunning Dorchester Hotel for a charity dinner event organised by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation. Over £60,000 was raised on the evening through the sale of tickets, prints, original paintings (donated by David and his granddaughter Emily Lamb) as well as raffles and games.

David Shepherd is an internationally renowned artist and conservationist who set up DSWF twenty-five years ago to raise funds to help the fight against species extinction. To date the foundation has given around £3 million in grants to projects involved in habitat preservation, education, investigation and rescue to name but a few. As a charity, the DWSF is relatively small, but has shown that through sheer passion and dedication so much can be achieved.

David was introduced by none other than the fabulous AlanTitchmarsh, a long-time supporter of the foundation and its work to save endangered species the world over. Entertainment by the amazingly siren-like ‘Elysium’ was truly captivating, while the speeches and commentary by Saba Douglas-Hamilton and Simon King of ‘Big Cat Diary’ fame were both moving and inspirational.

As part of their continuing efforts to help animals in peril, Animal Friends Insurance made a generous donation of £5000 to the foundation.

For more information about the DSWF and the kinds of projects which it supports, go to David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation. It really is an amazing site with an enormous amount of information along with some really shocking statistics! It really makes one realise just how important it is to support animal charities when you read some of the material here: heart-warming to read of all the success stories and things that have been made possible by the generosity of ordinary people supporting the foundation.

"Since time immemorial, one species became extinct every century. Today, one becomes extinct every hour. Wildlife around the world is being decimated by an awesome onslaught of threats ranging from habitat destruction and hunting, to pollution. Another serious threat - wildlife crime - is alone worth a staggering US$8 billion annually, second only to the illegal trade in drugs. People have slaughtered 98% of the world's black rhinos…we have wiped out more than half of Africa's elephants and three sub-species of tiger have disappeared forever. Join me in my fight for the survival of critically endangered mammals and their habitat. We need your help today - tomorrow will be too late".

David Shepherd OBE FRSA

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