Grantham girl to climb to Mount Everest base camp for homeless dogs

A 12-year-old dog lover is taking on a mammoth trek to Mount Everest base camp to raise money for Dogs Trust.

Leah-Mai Rimmington from Grantham is in training to take on the once in a lifetime challenge next April.

She hopes to raise a minimum of £1,500 to help the charity care for dogs who have found themselves without a forever home.

Leah said: “I absolutely love dogs and Dogs Trust never puts a healthy dog to sleep, which means they have the best chance of finding a new family, however long it takes.

"I want to raise money to help make sure all the dogs being looked after can have everything they need until it is time for them to go to a new home.”

Leah will be accompanied by her dad, Dave, on the 12-day Himalayan trek. They will cover 8,000m of ascent and descent, over 82 miles in ice-cold temperatures, facing the risk of altitude sickness, frostbite and hypothermia.

When lockdown has allowed, Leah and Dave along with mum Louise and their Sprocker Spaniels Harley and Ralph have been doing as much training as possible, including tackling Snowdon, Wales’s highest mountain and Cadair Idris, which at 893m is the highest mountain in Southern Snowdonia.

Dave said: “We love being outdoors as a family with the dogs but of course the pandemic has meant our adventures have been curtailed, so we have just done whatever we have been able to, to prepare ourselves.

“The main challenge of the trek will be altitude sickness as neither of us know if we will be affected. But we are determined to complete it, and hopefully enjoy it whilst raising as much money as possible. We are getting excited, and it is starting to become a reality now there is less than a year to go!

"I am so proud of Leah taking this on and I will be with her every step of the way.”

Since opening in 2012, Dogs Trust Loughborough has found forever homes for thousands of dogs, and over the last year it has adapted its processes so that the team have been able to continue to rehome dogs, whilst keeping staff and adopters safe.

Celine Di Crocco, Manager at Dogs Trust Loughborough, said: “What Leah is planning to do is incredible and we are so grateful. As Leah says, we are committed to finding our dogs their ideal homes however long it takes and in the meantime, with the incredible help of supporters like Leah, we are able to give them everything they need, from toys to treats or additional training to help prepare them for their own adventures with their new families.

“As soon as COVID guidelines allow, we will invite Leah and her family for a tour of Dogs Trust Loughborough so they can meet some of our current residents and we can thank her in person for choosing to raise money for Dogs Trust.”

The money raised by Leah will help Change the Tale for dogs at Dogs Trust Loughborough. If you would like to support Leah’s mega fundraising challenge, please go to: https://rb.gy/ul2yup