London doga-thon turns yoga with dogs into a charity event

Kiehl’s on Waterloo Street turned into a dog-human wellness stop on International Doga Day as Mahny Djahanguiri hosted a charity class built for both first-timers and regulars. The doga-thon ran from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 14 The Sidings, Unit UG, in London, and the event listing welcomed all skill levels and dog sizes.

The setup made the day feel closer to a small community festival than a standard yoga class. Guests were promised Kiehl’s Doggy Goodie Bags and puppaccinos from Black Sheep Coffee, while the real anchor was the rescue tie-in: every ticket sold went to Pawsitive Futures UK. The organization says its mission is to give disabled dogs and cats the care, dignity, second chances, rescue, rehabilitation, responsible rehoming and lifelong sanctuary they deserve, and it frames that work around challenging the idea that disability limits an animal’s chance at a full life.

Djahanguiri’s role gave the event a sharper activist edge. Eventbrite describes her as an animal-rights activist who began using Doga to raise money for global animal-welfare causes, including opposition to the Yulin Dog Meat Festival. That put the session in a familiar doga lane, but with a clearer purpose than a novelty workout: the dogs stayed at the center, while the class doubled as a fundraiser for rescue work that reaches far beyond one London studio.

The broader context helps explain why the format has taken hold. Modern Doga is widely credited to Suzi Teitelman, who started teaching it in New York City in 2001 with her cocker spaniel, Coali. One background source says the practice had reached Britain by 2004 and spread more widely across the Western world by 2011, which makes a Waterloo Street charity class feel less like a one-off stunt and more like an established part of the dog-wellness scene.

The rescue need behind that kind of event is not abstract. Dogs Trust currently lists hundreds of dogs seeking homes, and Wolfie’s Legacy says it has helped more than 500 disabled dogs find forever homes since 2013. Against that backdrop, a Sunday doga-thon with a charity ticket, branded treats and an open-door class format landed as something practical: a way to stretch, socialize and put money toward dogs that still need a place to land.