Animal Star Awards 2025 finalist: Donna’s journey from fundraiser to hands-on rescuer
In her own words, Oswestry’s Donna Milward reflects on her journey with rescue dogs.
"This year I was nominated for the Animal Star Awards 2025. Much to my amazement the judges chose me as a finalist!
"Here's a bit a back story on myself and what I do.
"I have a group called Donna's Lost Souls. In December 2024 I took my first six dogs out of an awful kill shelter in Romania. I had always been in the rescue world since I got my Romanian dog Stella but I had never taken dogs out of shelters myself I had only ever helped other rescues by way of fundraising.
"Since I took my first six dogs I have now reached 77 dogs saved from kill shelters. I'm also happy to say that approximately 48 of those are in happy homes.
"I work along side some amazing rescues who help them find homes - Elcee's Rescue, Rescue Doggies In The UK, Scruffy Dog Rescue, Just For Dogs, Islay Dog Rescue and The Biggies League.
"When you take a dog out of a shelter in Romania it's not just taking the dog out and that's it, job done, they have to be seen by a vet, more often than not they will come out with injuries or ill health.
"One beautiful dog I would like to mention is Natalia - she is a German Shepherd cross, she is 10 years old and has had an awful time of it lately. She's only been out of the shelter for approximately one month but so far she has beaten ovarian and uterine cancer, emergency surgery when she bled out on a trip to a ultrasound clinic. And now the poor girl needs to fight for her life again as she has either lymphoma or melanoma of the mouth.
"Each dog that leaves a shelter had blood tests, apha Brucella tests, and any other tests needed. Each bill you are looking at if your lucky and get a healthy dog approximately 300 euros but more often or not bills are over 500 euros.
"Every single day I fight for my dogs. I fundraise every single day, I do weekly auctions, have a buy and sell group and I just beg and plead on social media for help by way of donations.
"This is the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I may not have won the award of Animal Star Human, but I was a finalist and chosen out of so many amazing people in the animal industry. I am not a rescue, I am not a business but in my category I was up against vet nurses and therapists. I suffer with severe anxiety and I will admit when I arrived I had a panic attack and went to the bathroom to cry. But I mingled, speaking to some amazing people
"I cannot wait to see what 2026 will bring me, and I cannot wait to see how many more dogs I can save.
"If you would like to help or support me then please join my group 'Donna's Lost Souls' on Facebook.
"Or you can even donate to PayPal - stellathestar22@hotmail.com
"I also accept donations of items."
