Samme Newton

Every Mile, Every Step — For Dogs Trust

Five years ago, in a township in Cape Town, we found a pup who had every reason to give up on people.

She was tied up, beaten, starved, and desperately thirsty — a tiny, broken thing weighing just 3.5 kilograms. But she still had a wag in her tail.

Her name is Phoebe.

Since that day, Phoebe has made up for lost time. She’s felt the Atlantic wind on her ears along the beaches of the Western Cape and looked out from its mountains. She’s bounded through the parks and trails of Sydney, nose to the ground, tail going like a a helicopter. And now she calls Jersey in the Channel Islands home, racing across sandy beaches and exploring ancient woodland — happy, healthy, and a long way from that piece of rope in a township.

She went from frail and forgotten to loved and well-travelled. Not every dog gets that chance. But every dog deserves it.

That’s why I’m running the Guernsey Marathon for Dogs Trust — because somewhere right now, there’s another Phoebe at the end of a rope, waiting for her life to begin. Dogs Trust works tirelessly to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome dogs just like her, and they never put a healthy dog down.

Every donation, no matter how small, helps give another dog the second chance Phoebe got. If a 3.5kg pup who’d lost everything could find the strength to wag her tail, I can find the strength to run 42.2 kilometres for her — and for all the dogs still waiting.

Please donate if you can. Phoebe and I will be cheering you on from the finish line.