A family so moved by the dog they re-homed from Cardiff Dogs Home has raised over £1600 by holding a unique karate marathon.
Gail de’ Claire, a junior instructor at the Penarth-based Karate-do Shotokai club organised two events, the first taken on by junior members aged 7 to 16 who completed a continuous kata mini-marathon for 30 minutes without pause. A Kata involves a pattern of movements involving a pre-learnt series of movements such as defensive blocks and hand or kicking counter-attacks.
Each one combines a routine that can vary from 12 to 36 memorised movements. The youngsters demonstrated balance, flexibility, stamina and concentration. The senior/cadet club completed a similar event for a greater duration of time.
Gail, her husband Jonathan and their 7 year old daughter, Olivia immediately accepted Cassie, a Staffordshire Terrier/Rhodesian Ridgeback cross as part of the family and they made a New Year to resolution to ‘make a difference’ in 2011 and help Cardiff Dogs Home.
The karate marathon managed to raise £853 and Barclays has agreed to match fund the first £750, bringing the total amount raised to £1603.
Gail d’Claire said, “It soon became apparent when visiting the dogs home that the staff are hugely passionate in their roles and do a fantastic job. Not everyone is in a position to re-home a dog but donating old bedding, soft toys, food, treats, old newspapers etc, costs nothing and the staff there are very grateful for your contributions. To know you are helping a furry friend also makes the exercise so much more enjoyable.”
Gail also drew attention to the false perception some people have about the kind of dogs that Cardiff Dogs Home shelters. She said, “When speaking to friends, I often find there is a misconception that the dogs are challenging, or have difficult backgrounds and would not be suitable for their family. Conversely, I also know local people who have provided a fantastic home for some of the dogs and feel very lucky to have found such a special dog which has enriched their lives in so many ways.
“The shelter will guide you as to which dog is best suited for you (and your family). The dogs each have their very own personality and there is one to suit everyone and every lifestyle. Please help in whatever way you can but more than anything, if you are considering buying a dog, please visit the shelter first – you will be so pleasantly surprised and what a wonderful deed you would have done.”
Councillor Margaret Jones, Executive Member for Environment at Cardiff Council, added: “I would like to extend my personal thanks to Gail and Barclays for their kind support and generosity. The run up to Christmas is always a busy period for our dogs’ home as demand for the services offered increases dramatically so this additional funding couldn’t have come at a better time.”
