Any dog parent will know that there’s nothing a pooch loves more than going for ‘walkies’, but some canines really do go the extra mile.
Rusty, a Griffon Hound mix, lives in the village of Bradfield in Essex with his dog mom Deb Smith. The pair competed in the London Virtual Marathon last month, and this month will be walking 121 miles for the Poppy Appeal.
From the London Virtual Marathon to the Poppy Appeal
They completed the London Virtual Marathon in six hours and 20 minutes, raising £1,750 (around $1,950) for Spanish Griffon Rescue. Rusty arrived from the rescue himself, so there’s an extra-special connection to the organization, which looks after abandoned, neglected, and abused dogs.
Smith has also completed the marathon in the past with previous dog Molly, who died in April. Before she died, she trained with Rusty, which helped him prepare.
When getting ready for the marathon, Rusty and his mom walked twice a day around the local area. “We’ve been training ever since I lost Molly,” Smith explained to the Essex County Standard, “Like with people, you can’t just go out and do a marathon, you’ve got to get up to speed with the distance which we’d done.
“In terms of our time, to be walking that pace with a dog was very pleasing. It averaged at around four miles an hour which is pretty quick.”
Familial Connections
And now, to commemorate Remembrance Day, Rusty and his mom will be walking 121 miles across November. They’re fundraising for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.
They have a number of connections to the Royal British Legion – Smith’s son currently serves in the Royal Navy, while her husband served for 12 years too.
“We won’t have to train as intensely because Rusty walks around eight to ten miles quite regularly anyway,” said Smith, “Yesterday, we walked eight miles so if we keep that pace up we should reach our target of 121 miles well before the month ends”.
