From beagles and bulldogs, to dachshunds and Dalmatians – all tails were wagging as Derian House’s four-legged fundraisers finished the final lap of the ‘Top Dog’ challenge.
Over 40 pooches and their owners took to their heels to walk 100km throughout February – and together hit a total of 4,500km, raising almost £10,000 for the charity in the process!
In honour of the amazing efforts, awards were handed out for the most pup-tacular pooches!
Molly the beagle went home with the award for ‘FUR-thest Walked’ after hitting 120 miles; curly-haired Bruce was voted ‘Picture Pawfect’; and ‘Mutts Amount Raised’ went to Shuna, the hospice’s own pet therapy dog, who raised over £1,000.
A special award was also given to the owners of Kench the black Labrador who sadly died of old age shortly after completing the challenge – forever Derian’s Top Dog.
Among the pack, there was one plucky pup who caught the attention of Derian House supporters with his unusual name and cheeky grin.
Ham, a sausage-loving corgi from Wigan, walked 162km with his little legs and managed to raise £150 for Derian House. He celebrated the end of the challenge with a party for his first birthday.
Ham’s owner, Zoe, said: “Ham had a fantastic time walking with his family and raising money for an amazing charity. We have been out walking with my husband Ray and my sister Tanya and her two dogs – Squat and Dinky.
“Ham enjoys his walks but when it comes to treats he’s really fussy, so he has been enjoying a hot sausage from the café as he goes. It has been a lot of fun and we finished the challenge off with a special party for Ham’s birthday.
“Derian House is a special charity that is close to my heart. And this isn’t all we have planned to support the charity. My sister and I are planning another charity dog walk – we’re going to put Ham and Squat in fancy dress. I’m also planning on getting another corgi that I can specially train to be a pet therapy dog for children.”
Ellie Smith, Community Fundraiser at Derian House, said: “Thank you to all of our furry fundraisers that took part in our brand new Top Dog for Derian House – and well done to the paw-tastic pups who won an award!
“It will cost £6 million to run services at Derian House in 2023. We rely heavily on the generosity our local community – and their precious pups – to make sure we can continue to provide care for our families.”
Derian House, based in Chorley, cares for more than 400 babies, children, young people and their families from across the North West and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Find out more: www.derianhouse.co.uk
Find out more about Derian House: www.derianhouse.co.uk/events
