Black Dog Campaign history

The Black Dog Campaign celebrated SANE’s 25th anniversary in 2011. Former lead singer of The Kinks, Sir Ray Davies headlined a launch night compered by television and radio presenter Clive Anderson at Meltdown Festival as the campaign aims were introduced.

A host of other celebrity friends joined in the celebrations with a variety of musical and theatrical performances, and the Black Dog Campaign was born.

The campaign immediately hit national news, with The Observer and London Evening Standard featuring pieces on the arrival of the first Black Dog statue, Horace.

The dog’s coat was designed by Anthony Cleyndert, who also created the beautiful stained glass window at our Prince of Wales International Centre for SANE Research in Oxford.

As a long-standing patron and supporter of SANE, comedian Rory Bremner was one of the first to meet Horace, dedicating his show at the Udderbelly Festival that year to the campaign.

“Many charities vie for attention. I chose SANE as one of the few I support because they’re not afraid to speak out against stigma and apathy. They have fought a brave battle to highlight the suffering and needs of people who experience depression and other mental illness.”

Rory Bremner, SANE Supporter and comedian