Walking your dog could help save a life

9th January 2018

Walking your dog could help save a life

Are you looking forward to Spring? The Events Team at Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) is, because on Sunday 10^th March the Charity’s popular Heli Hounds event returns to Earls Colne near Colchester.

With dogs and their owners walking in support of their local life-saving Charity, it’s a great way of spending a day with your four-legged friends. Starting from EHAAT’s Charity Office on Earls Colne Business Park, a delightful three mile route will take participants through the grounds of the Marks Hall Estate.

Following the walk, which starts at 10.30am, there will be lots of dog-related attractions to enjoy and stalls to browse. TV dog behaviourist Dima Yeremenko, who has worked with the likes of Paul O’Grady and Noel Fitzpatrick, will be giving demonstrations and sharing some top training tips.

There will be a dog show with a selection of classes to enter including; Best Puppy, Best Veteran, Lovely Lady, Fabulous Fella, Best Rescue Rehome, Bad Hair Day and Young Handler. If your dog looks like you, can do an amazing trick or is a great mover, this is the dog show for you!

Jen Wall, Volunteer and Events Lead at EHAAT, said: “Our Heli Hounds walk is a really popular, fun event with hundreds of people and their dogs joining us each year.

“Because EHAAT is a Charity, the money raised by events such as this plays a really important part in keeping our life-saving service operational. It would be great to see as many people as possible come along with their dogs. You can help save a life just by taking your dog for a walk and getting sponsored.

“If 300 dog walkers each managed to get £30-£50 in sponsorship money, we could raise over £10,000, enough to fund four life-saving missions.”

Registrations are now open at ehaat.org/events or by calling 0345 2417 690. The first 250 dogs to register will receive a FREE doggy bandana. You can pre-register for the walk for just £5 or enter on the day for £7.50. Entries for the dog show, which starts at 12 noon, will cost £1.50 per dog per class, or £2 on the day.

-ENDS-

Photograph: Heli Hounds 2018

For more information please contact Gavin Sherriff, PR Officer, on 0345 2417 690.

Notes to Editor:

Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) is a Charity that provides a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for the critically ill and injured of Essex, Hertfordshire and surrounding areas.

The service is provided free of charge but, unlike NHS emergency services, the Charity receives no direct funding from the Government or National Lottery. It costs in excess of £500,000 every month to keep the service operational and saving lives, and this would not be possible without the generosity and goodwill of people and businesses of Essex, Hertfordshire and beyond.

Each of the Charity’s HEMS teams consist of a Pilot, a Co-pilot, a Pre-hospital Care Doctor and a Critical Care Paramedic.

These teams, made up of highly-skilled individuals, tended to 1505 patients in 2017/18 and are the backbone of your local life-saving Charity.

The fleet, consisting of two Air Ambulances, and four Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs - cars) operates seven days a week from 7am to 9pm. After sunset, the Critical Care Team continues to provide the service using Rapid Response Vehicles.

In addition, a Rapid Response Vehicle is operational on a Friday and Saturday evening from 6pm until 2am with a Pre-hospital Care Doctor and Critical Care Paramedic.