A dog show was held at the Queen Elizabeth Pub in Chingford on the weekend, with funds going towards local charity Animal SOS Sri Lanka, which rescues hundreds of stray and abused dogs every year, reports Antonia Vlad
On Saturday 29th August, Animal SOS Sri Lanka, a UK-based non-profit charity dedicated to helping vulnerable animals in Sri Lanka, hosted a dog show fundraiser at the Queen Elizabeth Pub in Chingford.
Organised by Kim Cooling, the founder of Animal SOS Sri Lanka, the event welcomed actor Peter Egan and TV presenter Jan Leeming as judges. Both are also official patrons of the charity.
The show brought the local community together to celebrate dogs while raising awareness of Animal SOS Sri Lanka and its work helping vulnerable street animals abroad.
Speaking to the Echo, Kim said: “One of the nicest things is seeing how willing people are to get involved and support the animals, seeing people enjoying themselves with their dogs while championing such an important cause makes all the preparation worthwhile.
She added: “Caring for so many animals is an enormous undertaking, so community fundraising events in the UK play an important part in helping us continue that work.”
Currently, over 2,220 rescued dogs and cats are at the sanctuary in Ahangama, Sri Lanka, with many of those arriving at the sanctuary suffering from serious injuries, disabilities or abuse.
At the event, participating dogs belonged to local residents rather than the sanctuary in Sri Lanka, with volunteers putting in a lot of work to get the show on its feet.
Addie, one of Kim’s dogs, won the ‘Best Rescue’ category. She arrived at the sanctuary as a puppy in a coma and was later adopted.
Riley was entered into the ‘Most Handsome’ category. He arrived at the sanctuary with a flystrike tumour and survived. He is now an old boy and has lived with Kim for many years.
Overall, the dogs were very well behaved, and the organisers say they were delighted to have been joined on the day by judges Peter Egan and Jan Leeming.
There was also a raffle, and because the event was such a success, Kim has confirmed that the dog show will “definitely” be taking place again next year.
Animal SOS Sri Lanka was established in 2007 as a homage to Rama, a dog Kim and her husband, Gary, rescued while on holiday in Phuket, Thailand, in 1998.A
After discovering that Rama was at risk of becoming seriously ill, the couple were determined to bring her back to the UK at any cost.
The situation caused Kim to “find her true calling”, and she began working towards helping stray animals in Sri Lanka, where the conditions for animals and veterinary services were poor.
Animal SOS Sri Lanka has been, and continues to be, a “huge” part of Kim’s life.
She said: “Every animal deserves compassion and the chance to live without suffering, and events like the dog show enable people here in the UK to become part of that work.
“We continue to fight for every life and give animals the chance they would otherwise never have.”
To this day, Animal SOS Sri Lanka feeds more than 2,700 cats and dogs, as well as sanctuary residents and strays in the surrounding areas.
If you want to donate to Animal SOS Sri Lanka, please check out their website
You can also follow Animal SOS Sri Lanka on Instagram and help spread the word
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