A MAN on a mission to end the suffering of dogs destined for the meat trade in South Asia stopped off in Bentham over the weekend on route from one end of the country to the other.

Robert Donkers, who has homes in County Durham, and in London, set off from Land’s End in May with his four small dogs - three Shih Tzus and one Chihuahua - on an epic, 1,038 mile walk to John O Groats, where he plans to reach towards the end of September.

He has been walking about 12 miles a day since May, talking to people along the way and raising the profile of the dog meat festivals in some South Asian countries.

So far, he and his dogs, Madeleine, Ronan, Wilbur and Chihuahua Hannah, have had to cope with the hottest summer for decades, have had to negotiate not the best of maintained footpaths, and been chased by cattle.

On his way to High Bentham from Clitheroe on Saturday, he said things were going well, although one of his Shih Tzus, Madeline, had returned home to London for a couple of days to recover from an ulcer in her eye.

“Bits of the walk are tough, we’ve had collapsed bridges over streams, broken down stiles, being chased and bitten by hundreds of horseflies and the dogs and I being chased by cows,” he said.

“The weather is cooler now but the heatwave was tough going - the challenge is hard certainly not a walk in the park.”

Robert, who is carrying a GPS device, so he can be tracked along the route, has set up a charity - Walking to Save Dogs, which will raise funds to support animals rescued from dog meat festivals.

“My main worry remains the well being of my dogs who are like my children to me. I am so passionate about my charitable work that I can’t comprehend that not every dog lover would not support me. Those horrible images of dog torture in South East Asia must become part of history.,” he said.

“My dogs will be the voice of millions of less fortunate dogs. My team of canine furry fundraisers are well-prepared for the task ahead. They love the outdoors, even though we have been walking on average 12 miles a day since May”.

Robert can be supported by donating online at: walkingtosavedogs.com or justgiving.com/crowdfunding/walkingtosavedogs.