Words by Smiley Team
About three years ago, Ashley Paddon suffered a life-changing injury to his leg. But this didn’t stop him from challenging himself to walk the distance between Land’s End to John O’Groats - all in aid of abandoned dogs cared for by the Dogs Trust.
With an ambitious aim of raising £20,000, he will walk more than 1,000 miles. This will be broken up into intermittent distances fitted around his working day and clocked up virtually. Already he has received over £800 in donations.
Due to his leg injury, it is a struggle for him physically, but one he is happy to take on, knowing what a great sense of achievement it will bring.
“I love all animals - dogs, cats, rats, pigeons, everything, and I just hate the idea of them being mistreated,” he tells Smiley News. “This walk is likely to be extremely tough, but if it can help raise some much-needed funds, I am happy to put myself to the test to do some good for our four-legged friends.”
In June 2019, he was standing between two cars, when one of them suddenly backed into him, crushing his legs between the two vehicles. One of his legs suffered severe injuries that still affect him, making it painful to walk long distances.
However, he knows that the exercise will help to strengthen his leg. He also believes that the added challenge will make his appeal for donations more powerful.
“I don’t believe in creating a fundraiser without doing something significant yourself,” he explains.
And he is confident he will succeed, saying: “When I’ve got something on my mind that I want to do I’ll stick with it till it’s done.”
This is not the first time Ashley has supported the Dogs Trust. Since being approached by a charity fundraiser several years ago, he has sponsored five dogs, called Barney, Cheeky, Mike, Mikey, and Kazen.
Only last week, he visited Mike, a Staffordshire bull terrier - a visit he thoroughly enjoyed. Ashley loves dogs but works night shifts as an IT support worker, so he believes it would be unfair to introduce one to his home while he cannot give it the attention it would need.
“Every time I see a dog I’m like a 7-year-old again - I just want to become their best friend,” he says with a smile.
As an animal lover, he was particularly distressed to learn that during the pandemic tens of thousands of dogs could be abandoned due to difficulties facing households. To tackle this, The Dogs Trust continues to look for more sponsors and donations in order to care for and rehome dogs.
SPONSOR: To help Ashley reach his fundraising goal of £20,000, donate via his Just Giving page.
DONATE: Help protect dogs who face abandonment, mistreatment or other difficulties. Donate to the Dogs Trust.
