DOG-lovers in Blaenau Ffestiniog have helped raise more than £1,000 for a north Wales animal sanctuary following a sponsored dog walk.

The Madog Dog Walks Group, which was started by Roger Greenhalgh when he moved to the town in October, raised considerably more than expected for the Freshfields Animal Rescue shelter in Nebo, near Caernarfon, after holding a five-mile dog walk on Sunday, 7 May.

Mr Greenhalgh told the Cambrian News last month that he would have been happy with raising “a couple of hundred quid” for Freshfields, which said it was experiencing “severe financial hardship” and faced the prospect of closure.

Roger Greenhalgh, of Madog Dog Walkers, said: “We had a fine day out today with Madog Dog Walks Group on the Sponsored Walk for Freshfields Animal Rescue.

“We’ve raised well over £1,000 in sponsorship today. There was a good turnout of folks, almost all with their rescued dogs, and several too from the Freshfields animal shelter.

“We walked a five-mile circuit of the three lakes near Tan-y-Bwlch, paddled a lot, saw some awesome views, left only footprints, and took away our little black poo-bags.”

Lesley Tarleton, of Freshfields, who was also on the sponsored walk, thanked the group for helping raise the “amazing sum”.

Lesley said: “We are thrilled at raising this amazing sum and would like to thank everybody who turned up for the walk with their dogs and helped us raise this amount of sponsorship.

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