Jollyes today handed over £5,000 to the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals after beginning fundraising for the charity in October.

The NFRSA helps support the care, well-being, and welfare of retired service animals from across the emergency service family - the police, fire, border force, National Crime Agency, NHS and prison services.

Retired service animals do not receive any additional funds to support their care and upkeep once they are retired, and with affordable insurance being largely unavailable due to their age and training, medical and vets bills can become a worrying challenge for owners.

The NFRSA’s mission is to fill this gap in funding and support, helping keep retired animals with the families that have cared for them throughout their lives, and who may not otherwise be able to afford the costs of their care, by assisting with those medical costs. Since the charity’s launch in 2022, it has already given grants in excess of £100,000.

As The Pet People, Jollyes began working to support the important work that the NFRSA is doing keeping these amazing animals with the families they love as their years advance.

Over the next 12 months, all Jollyes’ stores are raising money for NFRSA through collection boxes in their stores.

Customer donations are being matched by Jollyes to maximise the work that the NFRSA is able to do in supporting retired service animals and their owners and today’s first donation of £5,000 includes money donated by customers, and a Jollyes match.

Images of retired service animals supported by NFRSA across the UK are being added to community boards in each of Jollyes’ stores with local service animals helping open new Jollyes stores as guests of honour.

Jollyes’ most recent store openings at Leyland, Cardiff and East Kilbride all had special VIP appearances from members of the NFRSA family, with retired service animals biting through strings of sausages to declare each store open.

The NFRSA aims to use funds raised from its partnership with Jollyes to establish regional hubs across the UK to support with local support and fundraising efforts for retired service animals. 

The first donation has also enabled the NFRSA to create and sell a 2025 calendar featuring some of the gorgeous animals the charity supports, which has raised £10,000.

NFRSA founder The Countess Bathurst said:

“We are incredibly grateful to wonderful Jollyes for welcoming the NFRSA into their family. The ethos of Jollyes is the care and well-being of pets across the UK, and as a charity we share that same passion. The year ahead means we can work together to ensure our heroic retired service animals are guaranteed the happy, safe, and above all healthy retirement they deserve.”

Jollyes chief executive officer Joe Wykes said: “It’s been a great to start to our partnership with the Foundation.

“Our colleagues and customers understand the importance of the work they do for the animals who spend their working lives protecting us.”