A teenager sleeping outside to raise money for abandoned dogs in Romania has seen his own canine companion nominated for the Kennel Club Hero Dog Award thanks to his special fundraising efforts.
Springer Spaniel Bertie has spent hundreds of nights kipping under canvas with 13-year-old Ashley Owens from Welwyn Garden City.
Ashley is aiming to raise £30,000 to build a shelter for dogs in Romania through charity Paws2Rescue through his al fresco efforts and revealed Bertie has helped him through the tough times.
“When we are going outside, he waits by the door and then sprints out to the tent,” said Ashley. “He loves sleeping out there.
“We live right next to the woods, and there are foxes and owls making noise in the night and I get kind of scared, but I just give him a cuddle and it calms you down. He’s a great companion.”
Ashley and Bertie attended the official launch of the event at the Kennel Club in Green Park last week.
The annual Kennel Club Hero Dog Award, supported by The Kennel Club Charitable Trust, celebrates the unique relationships people have with their dogs and the important role man’s best friend plays throughout our lives and in society.
Judges from The Kennel Club, the UK’s largest dog welfare organisation, selected the five inspiring finalists to go forward for the public vote, which opened last week.
The winner will be announced by the award’s ambassador, Kay Burley, in the Resorts World Arena at the Birmingham NEC and on Channel 4 on Sunday 12 March, the final day of Crufts, the world’s greatest celebration of dogs.
Ashley started his current fundraising campaign in February but has been sleeping in his tent since March 2021.
It has taken him all the way to Crufts, where he and Bertie will be one of five dogs up for the prestigious Hero Dog Award and the teenager can’t believe he will be at the showpiece event in Birmingham.
“I just didn’t expect to get so far, going to Crufts, it’s crazy to think about,” he added.
“It was 2021, and some day in March is National Sleep Out Day, I thought that seemed really fun, slept out, and then carried on.
“I thought I should start raising money, and then Bertie came out and joined me – he’s helped me stay outside.
“I started raising money in February for abandoned dogs so they can have a shelter and I have raised £17,000 on the way to £30,000 to keep them warm and safe.
“I saw all the dogs in the street during the winter when it was so cold, I saw Paw2Rescue take them to the shelter but because there are so many dogs abandoned, they need more room and that’s why I am trying to build a shelter.”
The public can now watch each of the finalist’s stories in specially-made videos and vote for their Hero Dog 2023, until 4pm on Sunday, March 12, by visiting crufts.org.uk/herodogaward
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