Meet the team
Wild at Heart Foundation is powered by a team of dog-lovers, all of whom are passionate, driven and deeply committed to bringing about change. Alongside the inexhaustible drive and compassion of our founder Nikki, a full-time team of five are responsible for all the charity’s adoptions, global projects, campaigns, and events.
It is only thanks to the amazing support of a team of dedicated volunteers (and the less practical, but well-meaning support of our canine contingent!) that Wild at Heart Foundation is able to achieve our goals, and we’re so grateful to all our volunteers, partners, and ambassadors for helping us on our mission to end the suffering of dogs all over the world.
If you’d like to join our team, check our our current availabilities here.
Our team
Though we all have different roles, every member of the Wild at Heart Foundation team works tirelessly to achieve the same goal – to facilitate the rescue and adoption of thousands more dogs from all over the world.
Click on each team member to learn more about who they are and what they do…
Nikki Tibbles
When Nikki isn’t flying all over the world to rescue stray dogs, she can be found heading up her gorgeous florist business. Her reputation for unrivalled creativity and style, paired with an unwavering drive and determination, has not only helped Wild at Heart become a market leading brand, it is also the very reason Wild at Heart Foundation was able to become the thriving, meaningful and truly-committed charity we are today.
Nikki is truly inimitable: a force of unstoppable compassion, she has driven the Foundation from a passion project of her own (Nikki used to return from every international trip she made with an armful of rescue dogs who she’d find homes for amongst her friends and clients!) to the charity it is now. Wild at Heart Foundation’s reach, ambition and impact was made possible by Nikki’s sheer determination and passion to put a stop to the suffering of stray dogs all over the world. She has a heart of gold and a steadfast determination, which couples to make her the perfect person to take the charity onwards and upwards and achieve still greater things.
For the first four years of the charity’s development, Nikki’s business covered the costs of all salaries, expenses and overheads, as well as contributing significantly towards projects and campaigns; this gave the Foundation a unique opportunity to grow, and to invest 100% of donations into our overseas project work. To this day, Wild at Heart contribute 10% of their profits annually towards our running costs, and Nikki personally funds many of our international project trips where grants are unavailable, allowing us to channel all public fundraising straight into the areas of greatest need.
A dog-lover for life, Nikki grew up with rescue dogs and has never known a time where she didn’t have a dog of her own. Her current clan includes Tia, Smith and Lenny (from Spain), Ronnie (from Romania), and Ruby and Rita (from Puerto Rico)
You can read more about Nikki and how she started the charity on our blog.
- Live wire
- Good with other dogs
- Heart of gold
Olivia Staves
A long time supporter of Wild at Heart Foundation, Olivia rescued a Romanian dog through the charity back in its early days in 2015. Since then, she’s been an avid supporter and advocate for all things rescue. She joined the team as a volunteer in 2017, and we knew instantly that she was the perfect fit for the Foundation: in 2018 she took on a part time role, and progressed to full time Head of Adoptions Operations in early 2019.
We can’t imagine life without Olivia, and it’s thanks to her and her team’s genuine and unwavering dedication to supporting the rescue of every single dog we can that so many hundreds of dogs have been happily and seamlessly adopted into loving home here in the UK.
Read more about Olivia and her role in her ‘Meet the Team’ blog post.
- Good with people
- Wonderful nature
- Loves a spreadsheet
Abi Hanks
Abi joined Wild at Heart Foundation at the start of 2021 to grow the Marketing & Fundraising department. Her role ranges from orchestrating fundraising efforts – be it public campaigns and appeals, or establishing new partnership and sponsorship opportunities – to managing the Foundation’s marketing channels.
Abi has a love of dogs so truly believes in the cause and every step towards reducing the global problem, so she’s truly passionate about all the marketing and fundraising work we do!
- Full of beans
- Good with people
- Cheeky chappy
Sam Ellingford
Samantha joined Wild at Heart Foundation in 2020 in a centralised role as the Operations Manager; bridging the gap between the Marketing Team and the Adoptions Department. Her role includes HR, Finance, Stock Management, Education and Internal Communications.
She has a varied role involving strategizing, organising meetings, aiding communication, managing the charity’s bank balances and company merchandise, HR policies and procedures and overseeing the education campaign…she’s always willing to support and add structure to any aspect of the charity which requires her time. Working closely with Nikki and the senior team, to ensure the vision of the charity is always at the forefront of everyone’s minds with everything we do.
- Full of smiles
- Always efficient
- People pleaser
Meghan Reilly
After adopting Caramel from Wild at Heart Foundation in late 2018, Meghan became an active member of our adopters community, supporting the charity through personal fundraising and volunteering at a number of events.
Meghan joined the team in 2019 and has proved herself to be an irreplaceable addition to the family: she plays a vital role in supporting our international adoptions, liaising with both prospective and existing adopters, and generally being a happy, helpful and super-knowledgable point of contact for those looking to learn more about adopting a rescue dog from abroad.
You can learn more about Meghan and her role in her ‘Meet the Team’ blog post.
- Loves people
- Happy to help
- Loves a chat
Jenni Musson
Jenni joined the team in April 2021 to support the Marketing and Fundraising department. Having spent time volunteering with dogs abroad and seeing the suffering of strays firsthand, Jenni wanted to use her experience in marketing to help grow the Foundation’s presence on our digital platforms.
Being a big advocate for animal welfare, Jenni truly believes in the work we are doing to end the suffering of stray dogs around the world and was excited to recently visit one of our partner shelters in Greece to see the work that we are supporting.
Maddy Schofield
Maddy joined Wild at Heart Foundation in September 2020. She spends her days writing bios for each dog that goes on the website & also supports the adoption team when finding them their loving homes. Maddy is on hand to respond to any enquiries from prospective or existing adopters & is always happy to help!
Jess Honey
Prior to working with WAHF, Jess had been working with dogs for six years. After gaining a strong understanding of the UK dog industry, she wanted to transfer those skills into helping dogs in need around the world. Jess now manages the project partnership between us and our partner shelters whilst also supporting in marketing, social media, fundraising and events.
Having a background in both marketing and the animal industry, Jess also knows what’s important for dog owners and lovers to know, so she is also responsible for writing our blog content!
Rachel Hudson
Rachel joined the team in April 2021, to develop and deliver our exciting new Be Kind schools programme, designed to support the wellbeing of young people through understanding the positive impact dogs can have on our lives. Within her role she creates education content, arranges education events and webinars, and liaises with multiple organisations, educators and young people who are passionate in our message.
With a genuine love for education and dogs, Rachel is always working to find ways to ensure the work we do reaches as many young people as possible, in a positive and impactful way.
Our dogs
The Wild at Heart Foundation team would be nothing without the wagging tails and wet noses that power them! As a team of dog-lovers, it goes without saying that we owe our unending thanks to the dogs that get us through each and every day.
Reggie
From | Romania
Gotcha Day | 25th June 2015
Likes | Food, particularly toast! Morning walks in open fields. Long grass. His inner circle of humans. Snoozing. Barking. Routine.
Dislikes | Surprises! Overcrowded areas. Narrow pathways. Being left alone. Strangers.
Reggie came to Olivia from Romania during the infancy of the Wild at Heart Foundation in 2015. Christmas cards from neighbours are addressed to ‘Reggie and staff’ such is the impact of his presence locally, which is mainly induced by his love of territorial barking! When he’s not mesmerising everyone with his amber eyes or living his best life at day care, he’s generally snoozing off a meal or waiting for the next one.
- Sensitive soul
- Lazy sofa lover
- Creature of habit
- Overseer of adoptions
Caramel
From | Lesvos, Greece
Gotcha Day | October 29th 2018
Likes | Doing her best greyhound impression. Chasing butterflies. Learning new tricks. Playing with dogs. Personal space. Tug toys. Big dogs.
Dislikes | Bath-time – water in general! Recall. Relaxing. Cuddles.
Caramel travelled home from Lesvos in 2018 and has helped herself to the best spot on our bed ever since. She enjoys nothing more than playing with other dogs (for hours!), being independent and exploring to her hearts content!
Her Wild at Heart Foundation highlights include modelling for Mulberry and Mungo & Maud at the tender age of 5 months, welcoming many a foster dog into her home and showing them the ropes of UK life (and how to break every rule!)
- Super friendly
- Stubborn
- Over Confident
- Diva
Tilly
From | Romania
Gotcha Day | 26th September 2020
Likes | Playing with dogs. Tummy tickles. Stealing food. Sofa cuddles. Rolling in smelly things.
Dislikes | Busy places. Strangers. Being touched on her head. Bath-time. Small spaces.
Tilly was found in a cardboard box in Romania with six siblings, malnourished and infested with fleas. Since finding her home here in the UK, she has become queen of the house and spends a lot of her time taking up as much space on the sofa as possible! She is a sensitive girl and loves being at home but when she’s not snoozing on the sofa, she enjoys going on a sniffy walk, making new friends and playing with other dogs
- Home Lover
- Sassy
- Goof Ball
- Sensitive Soul
Perseus
From | Lesvos, Greece
Gotcha Day | 22nd September 2021
Likes | Tummy Tickles, Stealing Socks, Cuddles, People He Trusts, Dogs
Dislikes | Busy spaces, Loud Noises, Fireworks, Anything Sticky!
Perseus is a sweet lazy boy, that loves nothing more than lying back and cocking a leg for you to scratch underneath. Perseus along with his mum and litter were found as tiny pups in a refugee camp in Lesvos, they weren’t being treated that great, so the local shelter was called to come and save them. It took Percy a while to gain some confidence to go out into the world after arriving in the UK, but he now loves a walk, running on the long line and meeting all the local doggos he can be friends with. Percy is a big boy weighing 23kgs at 10 months old but that doesn’t stop him from thinking he’s a small dog that will fit on your lap or being scared of leaf blowing by too fast… in his mind he’s just a small ball of fluff! The once nervous boy makes changes every day in confidence and happiness!
Red
From | UK
Gotcha Day | 24th March 2018
Likes | Food, Adventures, Exploring, Digging, Cats
Dislikes | Busy spaces, loud noises, fireworks, anything sticky!
Despite not being a rescue, Red is a nervous boy who is very in touch with his sensitive side. As with the case of many dogs, his nervous behaviour is a long road to help him overcome, though he always enjoys being the center of attention, especially when there are snacks involved! Red can be very overwhelmed around other dogs, particularly more energetic ones, though it surprises everyone to learn that he adores cats!
- Nervous Boy
- Adventurer
- Sleep Talker
- Great Swimmer
Lenny, Ronnie, Ruby & Rita
From | Spain, Romania, Puerto Rico
Likes | Long walks in the country. Curling up on fabulous sofas. Visits to the local pub.
Nikki’s rescue dogs are an ubiquitous part of Wild at Heart Foundation. Although their lives each start a sorry story, they won the life lottery when Nikki discovered them and welcomed them into their home. They’re a real range of characters but they all have one thing in common: they love Nikki and a true ambassadors for Wild at Heart Foundation and rescue dogs all over the world.
Our volunteers
We’re so grateful to have a truly amazing team of volunteers on board, all of whom play a vital role in helping us achieve our goals. As a small charity, we’re reliant on the support our volunteers provide, and we can’t thank them enough for giving us their time, commitment, and expertise in the name of all things dog.
A special thanks goes to:
Our home checkers
A team of volunteer home checkers help to ensure that the adoption process runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible. They give up hours of their free time across evenings and weekends to help liaise with all potential adopters, and ensure that we’re rehoming all our dogs to honest, caring and responsible homes. During the home check video call, our lovely home checkers are also there to answer questions, talk through any potential concerns, and generally provide an invaluable insight into the experience. We couldn’t do it without them!
Our fosters and drivers
We’re incredibly fortunate to be supported by a wonderful community of dog-lovers who play a crucial role in helping bridge the gap between shelter and forever home. Our foster carers provide a safe and stable home for a dog to settle in between locations, be it for a few days or a few months. Our volunteer drivers have also helped transport so many of our dogs across the country (and sometimes even across continents!), all in the pursuit of helping more dogs into happy homes.
Our events volunteers
As we continue to build and expand our charitable events calendar, we’re more reliant than ever on the support of volunteers. We’ve been so honoured to meet hundreds of people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and help out at our events and fundraisers. Whether its manning the bar or selling raffle tickets, rattling a collection bucket or even hosting a specialist event, we’re so grateful to anyone who donates their time and skills to help raise money for our cause.
Friends of the charity
We’re blessed to have the backing of an incredible community of ambassadors, and partner brands and companies, all of whom lend their invaluable support to raising funds and awareness for Wild at Heart Foundation. Meet our ambassadors and partners here.
Learn more about volunteering or fostering for Wild at Heart Foundation
Our trustees
We’re lucky to have a team of inspiring trustees behind us, all of whom are committed to the rescue of dogs from all around the world.
Andrea Previ
Jane Gottschalk
Andrea Martignoni
Stephanie Camu
Florian Kuehn
Andrea Previ
Andrea is not only one of the charity’s best loved friends, he is also one of our most fervent supporters having advocated for Wild at Heart Foundation when it was still just a dream in Nikki’s mind! His support has been unwavering, and we’re so grateful for everything he’s done for the charity, be it supporting events and fundraisers, or helping us develop new corporate partnerships.
Jane Gottschalk
Andrea Martignoni
Andrea has worked in dispute resolution at Allens, one of Australia’s largest law firms, where he was a parter for 20 years (2000-2020).
For several years, Andrea was a Board Member and Vice President for the Australia Centre for International Arbitration (ACICA) and participated in organising and speaking in major international arbitration conferences in Australia and internationally.
Andrea was also active in Pro Bono work at Allens, including Federal Court proceedings against the Australian government, which resulted in the medical evacuation for refugees held in Nauru and Manus Island.
He also had a role in chairing “All-in” – Allens internal LGBTI network, and in that context helped to arrange internal and external forums and discussion groups dealing with current issues of interest to employees identifying as LGBTI and their supporters, and seeking to engender a culture of inclusion and diversity throughout the firm.
Stephanie Camu
Stephanie is the Founder of an artist management consultancy who has a passion for rescuing dogs. She has two rescue dogs from Crete herself, Ziggy and Ella. Stephanie has also helped to find homes for many other dogs from Crete.
Florian Kuehn
Florian is an Investment Banker with more than 20 years’ experience as a Fixed Income Trader. Florian gained his MBA from Imperial College London; he is passionate about animal welfare and respects all who choose to love a pet as part of their family unit.
Alongside his wife Gabby, founder of the pet-centric social hub PAAW House, Florian and their loveable terrier, Vinnie support a variety of animal welfare campaigns. Florian looks forward to sharing his expertise with Wild at Herat Foundation, a charity close to his heart that he has long supported and admired.