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.
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
Eleanor Brampton
Eleanor joined Wild at Heart Foundation in 2018 to establish what has now become 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.
She’s always willing to jump into new projects and opportunities with inexhaustible enthusiasm, and has enjoyed helping the charity and its wonderful community of supporters and adopters grow. As an adopter herself, she knows first-hand just how important rescue is to both animal and humans, and is passionate about raising awareness for this amazing cause.
You can get to know Eleanor better by reading her ‘Meet The Team’ blog post.
- Full of beans
- Good with people
- Cheeky chappy
Hannah Hamdy
Hannah first got involved with Wild at Heart Foundation when she stepped in to manage the running of One Night Only 2019. At very short notice, she swooped in to lend her knowledge, creative flair, and impeccable organisational skills, all of which resulted in a truly magical evening and an incredibly successful fundraiser.
We knew then that we couldn’t let her go, and Hannah joined the Fundraising Team full time in April 2019. In a short space of time, she has transformed the Wild at Heart Foundation events scene, building an exciting and eclectic calendar which includes something for all budgets and interests. From pub quizzes and craft classes, to large scale fundraisers and our epic month-long Covent Garden Pop Up, she brings care, consideration and an eye for detail to everything she does.
Knowing that the fruits of her labour directly fund our global rescue initiatives, she approaches each and every event and fundraiser with a smile and the enthusiasm to raise still more much needed funding for rescue dogs in need.
- Super organised
- Friends with everyone
- Always smiling
Samia Spice
With years of rescue experience under her belt, Sami joined the Adoption Team in 2019 and has proven herself to be a truly invaluable addition! Sami’s role spans a number of stages of the adoption process, including the rehoming of our Thai, Portuguese and Lebanese dogs, as well as heading up our dedicated aftercare service for all adopters.
Sami is a wonderfully knowledgeable and helpful point of contact for our entire adoption community and is always on hand to offer advice, support, and help for anyone who needs our help. Whether it’s talking through early-stage settling-in issues, or answering questions and concerns (or just enjoying hearing your stories of how your pup’s making themselves at home!), Sami has provided countless adopters with a sympathetic ear.
Whilst living in South Africa, Sami volunteered on numerous community projects and sterilisation drives in the townships and has an excellent knowledge of dog behaviour (especially rescue and larger dogs!) She also joined us as a volunteer on our November 2018 Puerto Rico clinic. Since joining, Sami has played an active role in planning and project managing our overseas rescue campaigns, including Lebanon and Puerto Rico.
Read more about Sami and her role in her ‘Meet the Team’ blog post.
- Loves to explore
- Knows a trick or two
- Happy to help
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
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
Panda
From | Lesvos, Greece
Gotcha Day | July 2018
Likes | Epic zoomies. Tennis balls. Snoozes on the sofa.
Dislikes | Mornings. Having her toenails clipped. Spiders (she’s terrified of them).
Panda made her freedom flight over from Lesvos in 2018 and bounded into Eleanor’s life where she’s made herself the queen of the castle ever since.
Her Wild at Heart Foundation highlights include modelling for Butternut Box, making friends with fellow WAHF rescues at events, and manning our Covent Garden Pop Up as the official “shop dog”.
- Loves to play
- Good with people
- Marketing & fundraising guru
Suki
From | Bulgaria
Gotcha Day | October 2019
Likes | Belly rubs, her badger toy, peanut butter
Dislikes | Surprises
Suki was found on the streets in Bulgaria at only 4 weeks old. Sadly, her mum wasn’t producing milk and her future didn’t look bright. But her life turned around when she was rescued and travelled over to the UK to be adopted by Hannah where she’s now settling in to London life. Suki now spends her days trotting around Battersea Park and cosying up on the sofa or in the local pub, where she is adorned with love from all passers by.
- Foxy lady
- Loves a snooze on the sofa
- Events planning expert
Bella & Rocky
From | Cape Town, South Africa
Gotcha Day | January 2017 (Rocky) / July 2017 (Bella)
Rocky Likes | Squeaky balls, surfing waves, lie ins with Sami, cuddling up next to his sister and generally sleeping all day! He also loves playing dead for virtually any treat.
Bella Likes | tummy rubs, train rides, chasing squirrels and snoozing with her brother and her favourite soft toy, ‘birdie’, on her mohair throw.
Rocky Dislikes | More handsome dogs than him and being left out from outings.
Bella Dislikes | Not having enough attention, cats!!!
‘Pavement specials’ Rocky and Bella were rescued from one of the townships in Cape Town. They spent their first years exploring sunny Cape Town, swimming in the Atlantic and climbing Table Mountain.
In June 2019, they ventured over with Sami to London. They’ve adapted well so far and they spend half of their days train and bus hopping and the other half chasing squirrels through Bushy and Windsor Park.
Their Wild at Heart Foundation highlights mostly entail attending and sleeping through all team meetings – they make a great addition to the team!
- Super friendly
- Stubborn
- Overly Confident
- Diva
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
Smith, Tia, 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 six 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.
Julia Dowling
Julia was appointed a trustee of the Wild at Heart Foundation in 2018 and has contributed directly to the front-line work of the charity in the post-surgery recovery team during one of the Foundation’s Puerto Rico spayathons.
She is a successful entrepreneur and still runs one of the companies she founded. Her earlier career was with Renault, BT and Deloitte. She completed a degree in Equine business and animal welfare is a lifelong passion.
Jane Gottschalk
Dilaram Kitchlew
Dilly has been a trustee of the Wild at Heart Foundation since 2018 and is a truly ‘hands-on’ advocate of the charity.
Dilly is a highly regarded behavioural trainer with over 50 years’ experience working with dogs and she works tirelessly to support dog rescue charities in the UK and internationally, sharing her elite network and vast knowledge to help nurture and train dogs, so that they can be successfully re-homed.