Gary’s Mountain Challenge

Hi my name is Jenny, and last week I lost my best friend and soulmate Gary the Greyhound suddenly to an aggressive form of Leukaemia. We would dearly love his untimely death not to be in vain, and hope that he is able to touch lives after death in the same way he did when he was here.

Two and a half years ago, after much persuasion and begging, I convinced my partner Dave to visit the Brentwood branch of the Greyhound Trust. After meeting a few dogs, out came our boy, and I looked into his big brown eyes and reserved him on the spot. After a month of driving everyday to the rescue from our flat in London he finally came home.

I am a huge dog lover, but there was something different about him. He was the most incredible, sensitive, gentle, stupid berk who saved my life in many ways. He spent a year glued to my side when I was off work with severe burnout, he was my comfort and confidant, and I actually used to cry at the thought of losing him, especially early.

After 3 days of doing everything we could for him with help from our local vets Wylies and then the Royal Veterinary College, it was time for us to let him go. The pain of that moment and subsequent empty days will never leave me. He truly was my angel, and now I would like for him to help other dogs who deserve to have a life away from racing and kennels.

Its really a cruel twist of fate that these gentle snuggly long dogs are used by the racing industry for humans as a commodity. Despite what racing advocates say, they do not lead happy lives and often die whilst racing or have to be euthanised after the race due to injuries. No animals should be used for sport, and the very least I can do is try to raise a shed load of money for the rescue he came from as they really run on goodwill and I want to hand over an amount that reflects my love not just for Gary but the breed itself.

I of course will be donating money myself, and the task I’ve given myself is by this time next year to have climbed every Wainwright (mountain) in the Lake District (214) and scatter some of his ashes on the top of every peak. This will end up being 634km with 143 471 ft of ascent - over 5 ascents of Mount Everest. I will be documenting my story here and on social media.

This is going to be a tough task to do in a year as I live in London, but Gary managed his first Wainwright this year (Barrow) and the Lakes is my spiritual home. Anybody who would like to join me please get in touch, even if it’s only one peak.

Please, if you can spare the amount of your morning coffee, I would be forever indebted and grateful. I love you so much Gary, let’s do this for all your friends xxxxxxxxxxx