1300km for Mobility Dogs

My name is Debra. I am an Environmental Engineer, a Girl Guide Leader and a keen tramper. This summer I will be walking the length of the South Island to raise money for Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust (Mobility Dogs).

In December I will be heading down to Bluff and walking unsupported from Bluff to Ship Cove at the northern end of the Queen Charlotte Sound. The journey is a little over 1300km along the Te Araroa trail and I expect it to take me 2-2.5 months. I will be setting out on this journey alone, but hope that I will meet all sorts of interesting people along the way.

Earlier this year my Guides were working on the badge "Walk a Mile in Another Girl's Shoes", which focuses on people living with disability. As part of this badge a teenage boy and his mobility dog came to visit us to tell us about his life. Our visitor had been in a wheelchair since he was four years old and was the first youth to be paired with a mobility dog in New Zealand. It was meeting this pair that inspired me to raise funds for Mobility Dogs.

Mobility Dogs train mobility, assistance and service dogs to be paired with people with long term disabilities and aim to "enhance the lives of people living with physical disabilities, increasing independence, confidence, self esteem and participation in New Zealand communities." They also run a Puppies in Prison programme where prisoners are paired with dogs and receive training 1 -2 times a week from Mobility Dogs Canine Team staff on various aspects of training, healthcare and socialisation of Mobility Dog puppies.

It costs approximately $55,000 to raise a mobility dog, of which the recipients pay a very small portion. Mobility Dog does not receive any government funding and relies solely on the philanthropic communities of New Zealand for funding. My fundraising will help make a difference to ensure the trust can continue to carry out vital services to people living with disabilities.

Thank you for your support for me on my journey and for Mobility Dogs.