These three incredible dogs raised £70,000 to help other disabled pooches, just like them. Rescue pups Lollipop, SuperBran and Odin took turns to run or wheel a mile a day for 26 days, raising the huge amount of cash for a new canine rehabilitation centre.
Emma Billington of Dogs4Rescue, who cares for the trio, said: “The boys are superheroes. They don’t know they are disabled, they just get on with living their best lives. They love their walks and inspire so many people with their determination and joy for life." The dogs all came into the charity's care after being rescued from overseas.
Two-year-old Lollipop was found as a puppy in Ukraine. His damaged back legs were removed to improve his quality of life.
Bran, who is five, was left with paralysed back legs after being hit by a car in Spain and two-year-old Odin was born in Bahrain with a condition that gives him a bouncing back leg walk.
Emma added: "The marathon has been a team effort making sure none of the boys overdid it, especially little Odin, but he loved taking part.
"Our philosophy is to focus on the things the dogs can do, not the things they can’t."
The charity crowdfunded £450,000 during lockdown to purchase a 41 acre site on the outskirts of Accrington, where the new Dogs4Rescue sanctuary will be built.
Phase one plans include a large fenced dog park and playground, as well as a communal log cabin for the dogs' accommodation and a smaller log cabin for older and disabled dogs, with staff quarters.
Emma said: “ With the current crisis in rescue we wanted to start work on the new site before the end of the year.
"Our hearts are brimming with joy at how much we have raised. As a small independent charity we cannot solve the crisis but we can free up some rescue spaces by moving 20 of our sanctuary dogs to the new site."
WAGONY AUNT
Dogs Trust expert Dr Rachel Casey answers your canine conundrums.
My family love Halloween but with trick or treaters out and about, we’re worried it might unsettle our dog. How can we make sure he stays safe over
Halloween?
You’re right to be concerned; many dogs find the weird things happening on Halloween extra spooky. Apart from the strangely dressed people coming to the door, there is often extra noise and excitement in the family.
On the day try and take him out for his walk before it gets dark to avoid the majority of trick or treaters who are out and about. Keep away from excited children and ghoulish encounters by encouraging your dog to turn away with a tasty treat.
Once back inside, close the curtains and if your dog is unsettled by noises outside, turn on the TV or radio. If your dog likes to be close to you when worried, let them snuggle up with you on the sofa. Some dogs prefer to hide, so if he wants to take himself off somewhere quiet then let him do so. If he’s not so worried, you could keep him occupied playing with him, with his favourite toys.
If you do get any trick-or-treaters knocking on your door, make sure he is in another room safely away from the door before opening it. Remember to keep those human sweets and treats out of his reach.
For more information and expert advice, visit dogstrust.org.uk. Do you have a question for Rachel? Email petclub@mirror.co.uk
CATS CORNER
Pets transcend politics, and it turns out they outlast politicians too.
In tumultuous times, as we welcome our third prime minister of the year, and our fifth in ten years, it’s comforting to know one thing in Downing Street hasn’t changed in all that time.
Larry the Downing Street cat is still prowling up and down outside number 10, often upstaging the humans inside with his antics, including chasing a fox away this month.
Rescue cat Larry moved into Number 10 in 2011, after horrified television viewers spotted a rat running up and down outside. He was given the official title of Chief Mouser, and still holds the role today, although it is uncertain how successful he has been.
The official government website says: “Larry spends his days greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defences and testing antique furniture for napping quality. His day-to-day responsibilities also include contemplating a solution to the mouse occupancy of the house.
Larry says this is still ‘in tactical planning stage’.”
PET PIC
Sherman the tortoise gave his owners a scare after wolfing down a packet of screws.
They took him to their local vet after noticing that he had lost his appetite and a scan revealed six metal screws lodged in his stomach.
After a three-hour operation at Sandhole Vets in Kent, who specialise in zoo and wildlife medicine, Sherman has thankfully made a full recovery.
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