A rescue dog has inspired her owner to enter an ultramarathon in the Sahara Desert to raise money for the Bristol shelter that saved her.
Owner Henry adopted German shepherd Zara from Bristol Animal Rescue Centre with the hope of finding joy again, after his previous dog died.
He never expected Zara would inspire him to run six marathons in seven days across Morocco.
This March, Henry will be taking part in the Marathon de Sables and fundraising for Bristol Animal Rescue Centre, as a small way of thanking the team for bringing Zara into his life.
“The world would look very different without Zara in it, so we’re very grateful,” Henry said.
Henry Wellesley and his family adopted German shepherd Zara after their previous German shepherd passed away.
“We decided to visit Bristol Animal Rescue Centre to distract us from our grief,” Henry said.
“Honestly, I had no intention of adopting another dog in that moment, as I was still raw from the loss, but once we’d met her, we knew we had to give her a home."
Stray dog Zara was a little nervous meeting visitors, and had difficulty trusting her new family at the very beginning.
“She was very lively doing figures of eight around the garden for 40 minutes. She would also flinch when we went to stroke her,” Henry explained.
In the first week, Zara ate through five leads and kept trying to break free - but soon settled and found comfort in her owners.
Henry describes Zara as “cheeky”, “very loving” and the “perfect pet” at home.
“She basically thinks she is human and therefore makes herself comfortable on our bed and sofas,” he added.
As well as bringing joy to Henry’s family home, Zara has helped to improve his mental wellbeing.
She encourages him to get out in the fresh air and walk daily, greets him happily at the front door and helps to diffuse any arguments.
Speaking about life without the German shepherd, he said: “Life would lose that simple joy, which we get from Zara when we chase her around the table or wrestle with her.”
Adopting Zara also inspired Henry to take part in the Marathon de Sables this year and raise money for Bristol Animal Rescue Centre.
It will involve running six marathons in seven days across the Sahara Desert in Morocco, where temperatures can reach 50 degrees.
Runners must carry all their food and clothing for the duration of the challenge.
“I am not a natural runner,” Henry said. “I don’t like camping in a tent and I’m not a big fan of sand.”
Training has been a “challenge” for Henry due to multiple injuries, but “thankfully everything is back on track with 10 weeks to go”.
Henry told the charity: “I wanted to fundraise for Bristol Animal Rescue Centre as a small way of thanking you for rescuing and looking after Zara, and for bringing her into our lives.
“The world would look very different without Zara in it, so we’re very grateful and want to pass our good luck on to other animals who might still be looking for a home.”
If you’d like to donate to Henry’s fundraising, you can visit his Facebook page or Just Giving .
