A walk in memory of Max the Miracle Dog has raised £46,500 for the Great North Air Ambulance.
Max, who died in April, would have celebrated his 15th birthday last weekend. His owner Kerry Irving invited hundreds of people on the walk at Tewet Tarn, near Keswick on Saturday.
Kerry – accompanied by his spaniels Paddy and Harry – and supporters of the hero dog wanted to get together for the Brew for Moo Walk to raise funds for the Great North Air Ambulance – with walkers putting their hands deep in their pockets.
People from Argentina and Malta joined them on the walk.
Among those taking part in the walk was Ava Pearson, nine, and her family, of Southwaite, north of Penrith.
In September 2015, two-year-old Ava was given just hours to live after she sustained life-threatening injuries when the car she was travelling in collided with a tanker on the A66 near Cockermouth.
The swift response from the Great North Air Ambulance Service in transporting Ava to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle ultimately saved her life, and the grateful schoolgirl and her family have been raising money for the organisation ever since.
On hearing about their great fundraising efforts, Kerry invited Ava and her family to join the walk.
Her mum Amy Shaw, who works for Cartmell Shepherd, said: “If it wasn’t for the air ambulance, then Ava wouldn’t be here; it’s as simple as that. Transporting her to the RVI so quickly was a massive part of her survival, and she spent an extensive amount of time in hospital because her injuries were so severe.
“For me, the air ambulance crew are true unsung heroes and we can’t thank them enough for the lifesaving work they carry out, but trying to raise as much money for them is a way of showing how grateful we are.
“We are overwhelmed and honoured to be asked to be a part of this walk and support the amount raised as this is a figure we could only have dreamed of raising ourselves.
“Ava was absolutely over the moon so much money was raised. She made and sold 200 bookmarks which raised £661 on its own, so she was delighted that so many people showed such generous support.”
Kerry has been a long time supporter of the air ambulance, raising over £100,000 in the last 12 months. He and Max gained global fame after the spaniel was credited with helping him overcome depression following the incident.
The famous four-legged star supported more than 10,000 people through meet and greets, charity walks, school visits and raised more than £570,000 for charities. Max became the first pet to be awarded the PDSA’s Order of Merit – the equivalent of an OBE for animals – and he was also invited to Buckingham Palace to meet royalty.
Kerry said Max’s legacy would live on forever, and the remarkable fundraising efforts from the weekend proved that there will always be support carried out in his memory.
He said: “We’re absolutely blown away with the amount raised so far in memory of Max, our beautiful boy, and thanks to donations from across the world and of course Ava’s help we have raised an amazing £46,500.”
