Ex-model tells how she gave up her life on the catwalk to save the lives of dogs
April 19, 2016 by admin
Filed under Choosing Lingerie
As career changes go, mine is pretty unusual.
In my 20s and 30s, I earned thousands of pounds a day working as a model and actress, appearing in glamorous shoots, adverts and even in the film Eyes Wide Shut alongside Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
But four years ago, I ditched my Manolo Blahniks for wellies and now I save hundreds of dogs a year from neglect, torture and death.
It all started when I saw a plea on Facebook to help a tiny dog that had been abandoned and was living in a cardboard box in a forest in Romania. A woman had posted on a charity’s Facebook page, asking for a €40 donation to go towards the cost of rescuing the pup. Although I feared it could be a scam, I paid the money.
MY FIRST RESCUE
A few days later, the woman contacted me and asked where she should send the dog. At first,
I panicked as I had no idea what to do but I knew I had to help.
It turned out to be quite easy to bring the pup over to the UK using the dog passport scheme and, although I adored the little Jack Russell, I sadly wasn’t in a position to keep her.
I posted a picture of her online and within a few weeks I found her a new home on a ranch in America – pretty much every dog’s dream. It was such a fairy tale for the dog that I decided I wanted to do more.
My friend Pola and I set up a charity to help stray dogs. We came up with the name K-9 Angels, as I thought we were a bit like Charlie’s Angels – quite glamorous and kick-ass – but fighting for animals rather than humans.
Four years on, we’ve rescued more than 800 dogs from certain death. Although it’s very rewarding, it can also be incredibly upsetting and I’ve had terrible nightmares. I’ve seen things more horrendous than I thought possible.
The saddest case was a dog called Erica who had been beaten and sexually assaulted. Luckily, we managed to rehome her in the UK and she now lives a happy life.
If you had told me 10 years ago that this is what I’d be doing, I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s a million miles away from my old career, which was full of glamour and excitement. I’d spend my days walking up and down the King’s Road in Chelsea with my modelling portfolio, and my nights at cool parties. I did all sorts of modelling, including lingerie and Page 3. I also starred in adverts for Guinness and Birds Eye peas, earning up to £10,000 a day.
But after a few years, the roles dried up – along with my enthusiasm for it.
I’ve always been passionate about animal welfare and have been veggie since the age of six so, in a way, K-9 Angels was the natural next step. I’m very fortunate as I can honestly say I’ve done both of my dream jobs.
Running the charity is a full-time project and I don’t get paid. It has taken over my life but I wouldn’t change it for the world.
I go to Romania regularly to rescue dogs from run-down shelters and it’s hell on earth.
I go in knowing I only have enough money to rescue 10 dogs and choosing which ones to help is gut-wrenching. After a trip to the shelters, I’m ill for several weeks – it hurts my soul.
Soon, I’ll be flying to Thailand to film a documentary about dogs being sold for meat. It’s going to be dangerous and soul-destroying but it’s something I have to do. Thousands of dogs are kidnapped and smuggled over the border to Vietnam to be sold at markets.
I’ve tried to find as many different ways of fundraising as possible, including selling off all my old designer clothes. I recently sold a Prada handbag for £600 and used the money to help rehabilitate a dog that was learning to walk again. It was a defining moment for me – saying goodbye to that old, glam part of my life.
CELEBRITY HELP
I’ve tried to raise more awareness of the charity, even doing a short stint on Big Brother in 2012 and being on the show dramatically changed my life – but not in the way you might think.
A week before entering the house, contestants are sent into hiding and I was placed in a tiny village in Sussex. Up until then, I’d always been such a city girl – I thought the countryside was boring.
But I fell in love with the place and, one night in the pub, I met the man of my dreams. Stephen and I are made for one another and he is very supportive of my work – even if he does sometimes come back from a business trip to find an extra dog in the house (we have five and counting).
Together, we’ve raised thousands of pounds for K-9 Angels but by far the biggest boost to the charity has come from celebrity supporters. Ricky Gervais retweeted one of our posts and within hours we were flooded with donations. We also made a calendar with celebs such as Anastasia, Rachel Riley and Sue Barker posing for selfies with their dogs.
One night, I was watching Britain’s Got Talent with Stephen and got the shock of my life. Pudsey the Dog had just won the final and Simon Cowell turned to the camera and told millions of viewers they should donate to K-9 Angels. I’d no idea Simon had even heard of us.
Sometimes, I miss the excitement of my old life but I only have to think about all the dogs that need my help and it makes it all worth it.
