Couple are ‘Walking to Save Dogs’ with their eight pooches

A Ballymoney man and his EIGHT dogs are preparing for a six-day walk around Rathlin Island to raise awareness of the charity Walking to Save Dogs.
Robert Donkers  with Jake, Ronan, Pippa, Hannah, Olive, Madeleine, Violet and WilburRobert Donkers  with Jake, Ronan, Pippa, Hannah, Olive, Madeleine, Violet and Wilbur
Robert Donkers with Jake, Ronan, Pippa, Hannah, Olive, Madeleine, Violet and Wilbur

Robert Donkers is supporting the charity which highlights the plight of the millions of dogs caught up in the dog meat torture trade in south east Asia.

He is also raising funds to distribute to dog rescue missions through his organisation https://www.walkingtosavedogs.comRobert’s eight dogs - Jack, Ronan, Pippa, Hannah, Olive, Madeleine, Violet and Wilbur - are doing this challenge with him, along with his partner Mervyn Espie.

Rathlin Island is a modest challenge in comparison to their previous events which included walking from Lands End to John O’Groats and swimming the English Channel!

Rathlin has a special meaning for Robert and Mervyn, as it was the venue for their wedding on August 10 this year - an historic event as it was the first humanist, same gender wedding on the Island.

The six-day walk around Rathlin will also be a remarkable feat for Mervyn who, as a child had two broken hips and spine and was told he would never walk again.

He proved the doctors wrong and went on to become a personal trainer, while coping with undergoing two hip replacements.

Robert has set up a Facebook page called Walking to Save Dogs which gives details of the Rathlin itinerary as well as details about the charities being supported.

In a post on the page, Robert wrote: “Come and follow our daily walks and please give a donation which will go towards organisations helping to end the dog meat trade like the Sound of Animals.”

Good luck to Robert, Mervyn and the pooches!

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