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Lisette Van Riel's BEM: how DoggyWarriors raised £150,000 for dogs in need
The co-founder of DoggyWarriors and DoggyLottery built a community of dog lovers that has raised over £150,000 for more than 100 rescues since 2020 - recognised with a British Empire Medal in the 2026 Birthday Honours for services to animal welfare charities.
· Honoria
When the 2026 Birthday Honours were announced, Lisette Van Riel was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to animal welfare charities - as co-founder and director of DoggyWarriors and DoggyLottery.
A community of dog lovers
DoggyWarriors is a community of dog lovers working together to change dogs' lives forever, raising money for dogs in need through its charity lottery, DoggyLottery, and an online shop. Since 2020 the community has raised over £150,000 for more than 100 charities and rescues across the UK.
The work has been widely recognised, with awards including Theo Paphitis's #SBS, BizBubble's Best Community, the Prime Minister's Points of Light, and LUXlife's Best Fundraising Business.
How DoggyLottery works
DoggyLottery, the community's charity lottery, is where much of that money is raised. Players buy £1.50 tickets and vote for one of three featured rescue dogs each round; the charity with the most votes receives the largest share. Around 60% of ticket sales go to dog rescue charities chosen by players, and the lottery has now raised over £165,000 - a donation rate it says is more than twice what leading lottery companies give to good causes.
The mission
The short-term mission is simple: raise money for dog rescue centres and charities in need. The longer-term goal is bigger - to help lower the number of dogs abandoned each year, both by raising awareness of the issues that leave so many dogs homeless, and by creating educational content through videos, interviews and blogs.
A British Empire Medal in the 2026 Birthday Honours, for a community that turned a love of dogs into real change.