Two eight-year-old dog lovers are taking on a mammoth hike up Pen-y-Fan to raise money for Dogs Trust.
Cousins Belle Bracegirdle and Lucie Bettosi who live near Newport are walking up the highest mountain in South Wales accompanied by Belle’s mum, Hayley Akrill, in July. Hayley and Belle lost their beloved family dog, Stella back in April, who they adopted from Dogs Trust Bridgend 14 years ago. Stella is the driving force behind the challenge and the motivation for raising money for the dog welfare charity.
So far the girls have raised more than £350 to help the charity care for dogs who have found themselves without a forever home but are hoping for an extra boost before the walk gets underway.
Hayley says:
“Stella was such a special girl and it was our privilege to have shared her life with her. We miss her beyond words but we are forever grateful to the Dogs Trust for looking after her until we adopted her so we really wanted to give something back to say thank you.
“The girls wanted to raise money to help make sure all the dogs being looked after can have everything they need until it is time for them to go to a new home.”
Hayley, Belle and Lucie will set off on 4th July. They will climb 886 metres above sea level and hope to complete the walk in 2.5 hours.
Angela Wetherall, Manager at Dogs Trust Bridgend, says:
“It’s really heart-warming to hear what Belle, Lucie and Hayley are planning to do in memory of their family dog Stella to raise money for all the other rescue dogs waiting to find a loving family.
“Climbing Pen y Fan is quite an undertaking for most adults, let alone children, so Belle and Lucie really should be proud for setting themselves this challenge.
“We are committed to finding our dogs their ideal homes however long it takes and in the meantime, with the incredible help of supporters like Hayley, Belle and Lucie, we are able to give them everything they need, from toys to treats or additional training to help prepare them for their own adventures with their new families.
The money raised by Hayley, Belle and Lucie will help Change the Tale for rescue dogs at Dogs Trust’s rehoming centre in Bridgend and the new rehoming centre coming to Cardiff this summer. If you would like to support their fundraising challenge, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/hayley-akrill
