A dedicated and determined vet nurse at a Somerset animal hospital is walking 100 kilometres with her dog this month (November) to raise money for a national cancer charity.
Nicola Tooth, from Linnaeus-owned Cave Veterinary Specialists, near Wellington, and her chocolate Labrador, Nelson, are taking part in the dog walking challenge organised by Macmillan Cancer Support.
It’s all the more of a challenge for Nicola, who suffers from mild undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy of the spine, a form of arthritis which affects the vertebrae.
She is still focused on making a difference, though, and explained why she’s chosen to support Macmillan.
Nicola said: “I have a close relative who has survived breast cancer and I feel strongly about supporting the ongoing research to fight this terrible disease.
“The challenge is to walk 100km with your dog in November and that suits both me and Nelson. Because of my spinal disease I am unable to do any hardcore exercise so this is an ideal challenge for me, something that was little and often throughout November.
“Nelson’s only seven months old so little and often exercise is perfect for him too because he’s still developing.
“I do love outdoor walking and as long as we can manage at least 3.3k per day, we will be right on target to complete it in the 30 days. I’m pretty confident as that’s the sort of daily distance I normally do with Nelson.”
Nicola is keen to raise as much money and awareness as possible and Cave has pledged to match it, meaning she and Nelson are guaranteed a double-your-money result.
Cave’s hospital director Claire Lawrence said: “Everyone at Cave is super proud of Nicola and Nelson for undertaking this challenge for such a worthy cause.”
