A SUFFOLK COUPLE RAN 4KM A DAY TO HELP RAISE MONEY FOR A CHARITY THAT SAVED THEIR DOG’S LIFE.
Issued on 27th May 2021
Carly and George Laflin, from Bury St Edmunds, set themselves the challenge to each run 4km every day for a month in May to raise vital funds for The Thin Blue Paw Foundation. The charity supported the couple’s dog – retired police sniffer dog, springer spaniel Pablo – when he needed life-saving surgery to remove a tumour from his abdomen.
Police officer Carly said: “The charity covered the £4,000 bill after Pablo’s surgery and we wanted to do a fundraiser to thank them and help raise some funds in return. We decided to run 4k every day for a month, representing the £4k they covered in vet bills.
“We’re so incredibly grateful to everyone at The Thin Blue Paw Foundation for supporting Pablo and helping us; without them, Pablo would have still had his surgery but we’d have been left struggling to cover the bill. This is the least we can do to pay them back for everything they’ve done for us.
Ten-year-old Pablo served Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies’ Joint Dog Section for eight years until his retirement in August 2019. During his career, the sniffer dog recovered more than £250,000 worth of drugs, cash and weapons, and helped to bring criminals to justice.
The couple adopted him upon his retirement and he became their beloved pet but they grew concerned just before Christmas 2020 when he started struggling to go to the toilet and vets found a 4cm mass in his abdomen.
Carly said: “We already spent around £1,500 on examinations and investigations so when they said he needed surgery and it would cost around £4,000 we walked away in tears, not knowing what we’d do. Unfortunately once police dogs retire they receive no further support from their force so it was our responsibility to get him the treatment he needed.”
They applied to The Thin Blue Paw Foundation for financial support and the charity – which launched in August 2020 – agreed to cover the whole bill.
Trustee Kieran Stanbridge said: “Just like any pet, taking on a retired police dog is a huge responsibility. But while we can get insurance for our pets to help us should something serious happen; police dogs are often uninsurable due to their previous working lives.
“We launched the charity to ensure that these canine heroes get the treatment they need and can live long, happy and comfortable lives once they retire. But we also wanted to help the families who choose to take these dogs on later in life and make sure they’d never end up in a situation where they’re having to choose between vital surgery for their pet or paying a mortgage payment on their home.
Pablo had surgery in January 2021 and returned home where he’s recovered well. While he helped his mum and dad with some encouragement he hasn’t joined them on their running challenge.
The couple have raised more than £700 but would like to hit the £1,000 mark. They will run their final 4km run on Monday 31st May.
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Notes to editors:
For journalists who would like further press information, images or interview requests please email press@thinbluepaw.org.uk.
Please credit in full when referencing the charity name. Thin Blue Paw Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales: 1190959.
About the Thin Blue Paw Foundation:
The Thin Blue Paw Foundation is a national dog welfare charity which protects, celebrates and rehabilitates both serving and retired police dogs from across the United Kingdom. The Foundation was founded by a group of individuals who are passionate about improving the health and welfare of serving and retired police dogs across the United Kingdom.
Many people are unaware that retired police dogs do not receive financial support in their retirement from the force they served with, meaning the responsibility for their care and vet bills fall solely to their ex-handler or new owner. Unable to get pet insurance due to their working life, many are left with ongoing vet bills which can amount to thousands. The Thin Blue Paw Foundation provides much needed financial support to over 200 unsung canine heroes and their owners to enable them to have a long and happy retirement.