Boy who loves to rescue dogs

Mar 25 2008 by Wendy Horton, South Wales Echo

A YOUNG animal lover is proving to be a dog’s best friend.

Nine-year-old Ollie Waddon spends most of his spare time helping abandoned dogs as a volunteer with animal welfare group Hope Rescue.

Set up in 2005 by Ollie’s mum Vanessa and fellow dog lover Alyson Sowden, Hope Rescue helps find safe havens for dogs which could otherwise face being put down.

Members act as a link between dog pounds and reputable rescuers by offering transport to safe havens across the country.

Hope Rescue, based in and around Caerphilly, has grown considerably and takes as many as 40 dogs a week to rehoming groups.

This takes a lot of time and effort by unpaid volunteers such as young Ollie, who willingly gives up his after-school and leisure time to help.

Vanessa said: “Ollie does an awful lot to help Hope Rescue and gives up a lot of his time to help us with transport runs, vet runs, assessments etc – not to mention all the time he spends with us on fundraising stalls at weekends.

“To be fair, he never complains and accepts it as part of his life. He also has a natural gift and affinity with the dogs. When I have struggled at times with the commitment Hope Rescue entails and thought about giving up he says, ‘No mum, we can’t ever stop or what would happen to the dogs?’”

As a thank-you treat for all his hard work Ollie has now been given tickets to see the heroes of his other passion, wrestling, at a WWE Wrestling event on April 12 at Cardiff International Arena.

Ollie said: “I like wrestling but I’d rather spend time with the dogs.

“The best thing is going out to the pounds and rescuing them from there.

“It’s nice being able to help them, much better than playing football.”

- Anyone who wants to help Hope Rescue in any way can visit their website at www.hoperescue.org.uk or contact Vanessa on 07870 455810.

...and runner Sarah’s doing her bit, too

DOG lover Sarah Draper is dusting off her trainers for this year’s London marathon for a second year in a row.

The 32-year-old, who runs Royvon Dog Training Schools in Merthyr Tydfil, will be among the other 35,000 runners to cover the 26-mile route through London and will be running for The Dogs Trust.

Sarah, 32, said: “There are so many unwanted and mistreated dogs.

“I want to do my bit. My two sons Sam, aged seven, and Danny, who is one, support me along the way.

“We’ve been going out every Sunday for my long runs with the boys and my husband following on bikes.

“I also started taking our poodle Lucci along with me and he loves it!”

A charity dog show is also being held at Royvon at Incline Top on Saturday, May 10, where all proceeds raised will go to The Dogs Trust.

There will be the usual dog classes and activities for children including sports competitions, animal display, bouncy castles and a celebrity judge.

For more information or to sponsor Sarah, you can e-mail her direct on sarah@royvon.co.uk (www.royvon.co.uk) or her fundraising website: http://www.justgiving.com/sarahdraper1

wendy.horton@mediawales.co.uk