THE legacy of a woman who dedicated two decades of her life to helping stray dogs will live on after her death thanks to a charity donation by her husband.

Roy Taylor has given £70,000 to Dogs Trust in memory of his late wife, Angela, who died of ovarian cancer in 2010 aged 45.

While working in social services, Mrs Taylor, of Spennymoor, County Durham, became concerned about stray, neglected and abused dogs.

In 1999 she wrote to Dogs Trust chief executive Clarissa Baldwin and volunteered to promote responsible dog ownership and educate hard to reach groups in the region.

Mrs Taylor, known to friends as Angie, worked with the charity and other animal welfare organisations to ensure as many dogs as possible were neutered, micro chipped and found loving homes.

In 20 years she saved and re-homed close to 1,000 dogs, particularly her favourite greyhound and lurcher breeds.

When she became ill she and her husband agreed to bequeath money to Dogs Trust and this week Mr Taylor donated money from the sale of their house to the charity.

He said: “Some people have knocked me, but it is what she wanted.

“I’m downsizing and without Ang the money is incidental, I think it is right to give this money when I can see it put to good use.

“Ang had great passion and hated to see dogs suffer, she believed in what she was doing and started some really good work so she’d want to help keep it going.”

The money will go to the charity’s Darlington Rehoming Centre and funded a free health check and micro chipping event at Spennymoor Leisure Centre today (Thursday, February 27), which could become an annual memorial event.

Mrs Baldwin said: “Angela was a people person and an animal person which is a rare quality, I was privileged to be in correspondence with her and am sad I never knew her personally.

“She did such a lot for animal welfare, we couldn’t do our work without volunteers like her physically helping and raising money and awareness.

“This donation is incredible and very much appreciated, it is rare we get such a significant contribution which will be the lifeblood of Angela’s local rehoming centre.”