Video: Sponsored dog swim raises £700 for charity

Yorkie - Akita cross Kai has doggie-paddled his way to raising more than £700 for charity by swimming 55 laps of a hydrotherapy pool.

Proud owner Heather of Skegby told how she came up with the idea at the Sherwood Canine centre in Sutton.

Retired policewoman Heather said: “ We had been using the hydrotherapy pool for Kai.

“He has a problem with his knee cap and a couple of years ago he had an operation on his back legs.

“He has been going up there ever since and he absolutely loves it. I just throw a ball from one end to the other and he just swims and swims.

“One day said: ‘I bet you wish you had a pound for every time he has swum a length of that pool.’ It made me think and I had the idea of Kai doing a sponsored swim.

She added: “I am so proud of him. We sponsored him for 20 laps and he did 55. He would play in there all day if you let him.

Kai has raised a total of £732.15, after Heather distributed sponsorship sheets among her friends and family.

The money raised will go to King’s Mill Hospital Amazon Breast Cancer Support Group.

Geoff Bacon 47, of Sherwood Canine said: “We use hydrotherapy to treat injuries or for mobility. Because they are exercising in the water it is non-weight bearing.

“It’s also a fun centre for owners to go swimming with their dog.

“The water is about 1.2m deep and there is a gradual ramp for them to get into the water.

“There are even buoyancy jackets for the less confident dogs .

“It was a huge achievement for Kai - he is only little but he loves swimming.”