THE wind, rain and even hail wasn’t going to stop a group of dogs and their walkers as they welcomed a celebrity trio to mid Wales on Saturday (February 5) morning.
Dozens of people and their four-legged friends braved the elements to meet social media stars Max, Paddy, Harry and their owner Kerry Irving as they visited Rhiwargor Waterfall at Lake Vyrnwy for a Valentine’s themed dog walk.
The English springer spaniel trio from Keswick have an international following thanks to their love of the outdoors and their tireless fundraising which has surpassed £436,000 for various charities.
And Saturday was no exception as they helped to raise £1,000 for the PDSA on behalf of local fundraiser Penny Francis.
The teenager who lives on the English/Welsh border had previously raised £400 for the charity after emulating the canine trio’s trademark jetty jump into Derwentwater in the Lake District last summer.
Penny, who turns 14 on Sunday, had aimed to raise £150 for her birthday.
She said: “I’m really pleased with the turnout today and I just want to say thank you to everyone, especially Kerry.”
Welcoming everyone to the meeting, Kerry said: “Thank you for turning up on this beautiful day! I wasn’t really expecting anyone to turn up – you always hope for a few – but what we’ve got here is incredible and it’s all for a dog. I really want to say thank you for coming.
“Now you may wonder why I’ve decided to come back to Wales when we were just here three weeks ago and went up Snowdon. Well we’re here for a specific person today; this person is very special to us – Penny.
“Penny put a fundraiser on for the PDSA for her birthday and it’s currently standing at £100 and her target is £150 so we are going to ask you for any loose change or a little donation to help this girl achieve her goal and help sick animals.”
Praising her fundraising example, he added: “We just want to encourage others to do the same. So thank you. Everything that you give today is for Penny, we’re just here to help her.”
As well as the dog walk to the bottom of the waterfall, fans and their pooches who had come from across Wales and the English border had the chance to chat with Kerry, and have their picture taken with the famous trio.
And afterwards all the pups who had taken part were treated to some Valentine’s treats courtesy of Pooch and Mutt.
To follow more of Max, Paddy and Harry’s adventures click here and for more on the PDSA click here.