'Anchorshound Park' raises money for Dog's Trust charity with Big Dog Walk 2020

Anchorsholme Park's dog group, Anchorshound Park, runs daily walks for pooches - but the focus this week (September 1 to 6) is to raise money for the charity Dog's Trust.

The charity, like many others, took a big financial hit due to the Covid-19 lockdown after fundraising events were cancelled, and more dogs needed care.

But by taking part in the Big Dog Walk 2020 while donating money, Anchorsholme pet owners hoped to help, and had hit their £100 target on the event's first day.

Kelly Robinson, events organiser for Anchorshound Park, said: "We are running daily walks every day from the cafe Brew @ Anchorsholme, for anyone who wants to come along and join in.

"We had an amazing turn out for our first day. We're also in the process of raising funds and collecting outdoor toys to set up a little play area for the dogs.

"We have dog-friendly facilities at the cafe and activities on the park, and we'll be looking at more events when the Covid pandemic has settled down."

A spokesman for Dog's Trust said: "The impact of Covid-19 on dog owners around the UK means we anticipate an additional 40,000 dogs could need our help.

"We know after the 2008 recession there was an increase in stray and abandoned dogs, and we’ve already started to see some of the dogs who have been affected by this pandemic.

"There has been a huge impact on us and other welfare charities, both financially and on our resources.

"Smaller organisations may even be forced to close, so with more dogs needing help, and even fewer safe places to go, Dogs Trust needs support to help as many as possible."

"Thank you so much for showing up for our nation's dogs at a time when it really is needed the most."

To donate, visit Anchorshound Park's JustGiving page .