Animal welfare charity The Dog You Need.Com is being investigated by the Charity Commission after it failed to comply with an official warning issued by the regulator over its late accounting.

The charity provides homes, care and treatment to sick and abused animals across Europe.

But the regulator became involved in its running after the charity failed to supply financial information over the last four years.

After it failed to comply with its official warning the Commission has now escalated its investigation to a statutory inquiry into its management.

In addition, when its accounts for the year ending March 2020 were eventually submitted, more than three years late, these documents “raised several areas of concern including a large number of cash expenses and incomplete record keeping”.

Its income for the year ending March 2020 was £42,780, while its spending was £45,520.

Meanwhile, the charity’s accounts for the years ending March 2021 through to 2023 remain outstanding. In total these are more than 2,000 days late.

The regulator also notes that its accounts for the year ending March 2019 were submitted almost four months late.

The regulator’s investigation will look at the extent to which the trustees are meeting their legal obligations, are overseeing the charity’s administration and whether there has been misconduct or mismanagement.

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