I'm running for my best friend and little dude, Toby. Toby had a heart condition and the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) gave us a wonderful 5 years together. Toby was my world, my rock and I want to do something in his memory to say thank you.

Toby was such a gorgeous boy he had the purest heart and was such a big softy. Cheeky at times, sneakily taking his sisters treats when she wasn’t looking. He enjoyed going to the woods and meeting new furry friends . He would always give me a massive smile and a wiggle when I got home from work. Even though Toby has been on medication for most of his life and regular checks and scans at vets yet he was always so humble and playful.

Toby’s first year as a puppy didn’t start great as he was involved in an accident at just 6 months old in which he was rushed to the vets and was told the next 48 hours was critical which then led to him being rushed to the RVC where they took great care of him for 2 weeks with all the love and support to get him back to being able to stand up properly without help.

He came home and it was a tough year for him as he had a permanent head tilt which made trying to walk straight hard and he often walked into things. The RVC helped out and we had weekly check ups to see how Toby was getting on. After a year, Toby was able to walk probably on his own with no head tilt but then he started having breathing problems which ended up with him having high hypertension which caused his heart to not function properly.

He then had to be on sildenafil which he took twice a day for five years which kept him alive and kept his heart beating the way it should which then gave him the best five years we could have asked for. The first week of march 2024, Toby was passing out for a few seconds when taking walks etc …. so we took him for scans March 13th in which he took a turn for the worse which led to him having fluid on his lungs and he couldn’t breath on his own without oxygen. From then it got worse and we then had to say goodbye and let him cross the rainbow bridge until we met again.

I’m am doing this half marathon to raise money to be able to give something back to the RVC and help other pets just like Toby . I have started training and working towards my goals to be ready for the marathon and make Toby proud and give back to those at RVC who gave me the greatest gift of more time with my beautiful boy.

I have attached some photos of Toby being his cheeky self to help show why I am running in his honour. To be able to give back to other pet owners and animals half the joy Toby has given me will make every hour of training worth it. Toby is often pictured alongside his sister Tilly who has been a saving grace to my partner and I through this tough time.

The Animal Care Trust exists to support the Royal Veterinary College's wide range of clinical, research and educational activities aimed at improving animal health and care.

Your generous donations help us to support over 20,000 poorly pets a year, giving our patients access to innovative treatments and the best facilities to keep them comfortable while they are in our care. It is only thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our supporters that the Royal Veterinary College can keep advancing veterinary medicine and saving animals' lives.