Gala Bingo has teamed up with reality star and animal rights activist, Pete Wicks, to raise money for a UK animal sanctuary as part of its Christmas campaign.

Research recently carried out by Gala Bingo showed that two in five dog owners admit to having given up a dog in the past, with one in 25 of the Brits who’ve given up dogs choosing to abandon them and leave them as strays.

After analysing YouGov data, the study also reveals that prospective dog owners are most likely to buy dogs from breeders (35 per cent), while only one in five adopt from shelters. In response to the shocking statistics, the company has joined forces with Thornberry Animal Sanctuary and TOWIE’s Pete Wicks to host a Facebook livestream fundraiser on Friday, December 13.

Pete will be playing games with the dogs to raise money for the charity, as well as give out great prizes to viewers. To watch, tune into the livestream on Gala Bingo’s Facebook page, where £1 from every share of the post will be donated to Thornberry Animal Sanctuary.

Newly appointed RSPCA ambassador Pete Wicks commented: “I am very passionate about animal welfare and do all I can to help improve the lives of vulnerable animals across the country. I’m delighted to be supporting this campaign with Gala Bingo, which will be helping to raise vital funds for Thornberry, a local animal sanctuary doing fantastic work in the north.”

Based in Yorkshire, Thornberry Animal Sanctuary has rescued thousands of dogs, cats, rabbits and horses over the last 30 years. The registered charity aims to house animals that need care, deal with any medical and behavioural issues and ultimately match each pet with its forever home.

Ged Jenkins-Omar, Thornberry’s fundraising and marketing manager, said: “We tend to see an increase in dogs coming into the sanctuary in January, but we also see an increase a few months later when people realise how difficult and time consuming their new pet can be.

“Our policy is non-judgemental and we never shame people who bring in their animals to the sanctuary - after all, if you can’t look after your pet for whatever reason, the most responsible thing is to bring it to a place where it can get the care it deserves while we find them a more suitable home.”

Karina Adrian, head of brand marketing at Gala Bingo, said: “We’re so pleased to work with Pete and Thornberry Animal Sanctuary to bring awareness to this vital cause. It’s so important that people make sure they can give a dog the life it deserves before they commit.

“Dogs can be such great companions to people of all ages and all backgrounds. They deserve happy and healthy lives and they make our lives happy and healthier too. They really are man’s best friend; that’s why we want to raise as much money as possible for the sanctuary which does a fantastic job looking after them.”