Wamiz UK: Top 5 highlights of 2021

Saying hello to a new year means remembering all the great things that have happened to us in the past one. 

Here at Wamiz, we’ve been incredibly lucky to have so many positive experiences throughout the year, despite it being a difficult one full of challenges, too. And we’d love to share them with you, our beloved and loyal readers! Thank you for sticking around. 

Without further ado, here’s Wamiz UK’s top 5 highlights of the year 2021:

1. Launch of the adoption platform and forum

It may seem like it was ages ago already, but actually, our adoption platform and forum are barely a year old! If you haven’t seen them yet, you need to check them out now!

On the adoption platform, you’ll be able to search for adoptable cats and dogs according to various criteria, including breed, size, age, and even location! But you don’t have to use the platform as a pet owner. You can also use it if you manage a shelter and would like more visibility for the animals in your care. If this is you, don’t hesitate to add your shelter and pet profiles to our platform!

As for the forum, this is the perfect place to discuss ANYTHING about pets with other pet owners. Plus, the forum is regularly checked by an Animal Behaviour graduate - so if you have any questions about training or behaviour, that’s the perfect place to ask them!

2. Production of Pet Chef Recipes and DIY videos

Throughout the year, Wamiz UK inspired readers with tasty recipes for dogs, as well as DIY toys for both cats and dogs in adorable videos produced entirely in-house!

With Pet Chef, you’ll find anything from delicious winter recipes like peanut butter and banana biscuits, to refreshing summer recipes like frozen strawberry and banana smoothie treats. To get the full recipes, you can visit our Facebook page and find our “Pet Chef Recipes” playlist. Or, you can visit our website and find them under the “Homemade Dog Food” section! 

As for DIY, you can learn how to make the perfect hiding place for your cat with our cardboard cat house guide, or how to make super entertaining games with our interactive toy guide. Just visit our “Do It Yourself” playlist on Facebook or the “Products For Cats” section on the website!

3. Arrival of new Happiness Officer within the team

Happiness Officers are very important members of the Wamiz team. Their jobs include making people laugh, giving out obscene amounts of cuddles, and taste-testing all foods at the office. Oh yeah, did we mention that they’re dogs?

As animal lovers, it would be hard for our team to function without the pitter patter of little doggy feet on the floor. And we were very spoiled this year with the arrival of a brand-new Happiness Officer: Loki the Shetland Sheepdog! He fit right in, since his Uncle, Liam, happens to be a Wamiz Happiness Officer too! Loki joined our team in June and hasn’t looked back since!

4. Top story: Pen Farthing, his team, and his animals successfully left Afghanistan

This year, Wamiz UK shared over 1,000 new articles with its readers, whether it be about incredible rescue stories or useful tips on caring for pets. But out of all this content, one story in particular stuck with us, and with you.

In August, the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan. Panic reigned over the country as thousands of people tried to evacuate. One of these people was Pen Farthing, founder of the Nowzad animal charity. Pen, though British and therefore allowed to leave the country, refused to do so without his team and animals. There were a lot of ups and downs, and it certainly wasn’t easy, but by the start of September, Pen, part of his team, and most of his animals had made it to the UK, largely thanks to the support of their amazing followers! Having interviewed Pen in April 2020, the Wamiz UK team was very relieved and delighted when he made it back to Britain safely. 

Read more on Nowzad:

• Nowzad, the charity that makes a difference for people and animals in Afghanistan
• UK founder of rescue in Kabul refuses to leave without his staff and animals
• Kabul rescue Nowzad says we have until 11pm today to save his staff and animals
• New hope for Pen Farthing’s shelter staff and 200 animals to evacuate Afghanistan
• Attempt to flee Kabul takes a devastating turn for Nowzad staff and animals
• Nowzad’s Pen Farthing speaks of “partial success” after landing in Heathrow
• Cats and dogs from Pen Farthing’s Nowzad charity soon up for adoption

5. Bereavement leave granted for Wamiz owners who lose their pets

It is common for companies to allow bereavement leave when a human family member passes away, but what about an animal?

This year, Wamiz became one of the few companies in Europe to allow bereavement leave for employees who lose their pets. As a team of animal lovers, we all know how much our pets mean to us and how difficult it is to say goodbye. With this day of leave, Wamiz not only allows its employees to take time off to grieve, but also recognises their pain. As a company where half the employees are pet owners, it was a very appreciated gesture!

Thank you for sharing all of these precious 2021 moments with us! Here’s hoping 2022 brings us more adventures and good times! Wishing you a very Happy New Year!

Wamiz UK