A homeless man and his dog who are undertaking a gruelling 2,000-mile charity walk along the coast will hopefully arrive in Sidmouth today (Wednesday).
Phil Bradshaw, 49, and his best friend Lucky, an 11-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, have been spotted walking across the country, down coastal paths and roads.
The pair are trying to raise money for StreetVet – a cause very close to their hearts because it is dedicated to helping homeless people and their pets.
Speaking to the Herald, Phil said people had been cheering them on and supporting them all along the way.
The pair can be identified by the buggy Phil pushes Lucky in, that has an orange flag flying above it.
The duo have managed to raise £1,200 for the charity which helped Lucky after Phil found a lump on her mammary gland. He feared it was cancer but thankfully it was benign which the vets agreed to operate and remove it.
Phil, who set off from Southampton last Wednesday (July 18), said he had been taken aback by people’s generosity and kindness.
He added he’d been overwhelmed with how friendly everyone had been, giving him food and free night’s stays in camp sites.
Phil said: “It has been going really well. The coastal path has been quite dangerous at points, especially with the buggy, so we have had to walk on the road for parts.
“Lucky isn’t quite sure what is going on but we are meeting so many nice people along the way – people have been stopping to talk to us or driving passed then turning around to come back and ask us how we are getting on.
“Someone gave me a hot breakfast the other day, another person gave us a night’s stay on a camp site and one guy came out to give us some cans of food and £10 for some fish and chips.”
Phil and lucky do not expect to finish their journey until at least November.
Phil said: “Lucky has been by my side since she was a 12 week old puppy. Her former owner kept her in a cupboard under the stairs. She is my world and when I found the lump I was terrified.
“Living on the streets you don’t have access to a vet usually, but someone told me about StreetVet and they came and helped me and operated on Lucky.
“I’m so thankful she’s ok and I wanted to give something back. The walk will be a challenge for us both. Lucky has a buggy for when she gets tired which was kindly donated. I hope the walk will raise awareness of StreetVet and raise funds so they can help more animals.”
StreetVet co-founder Jade Statt said: “Phil and Lucky are an inspiration. It would be lovely to have people show Phil and Lucky their support by joining them on parts of the walk, taking them a meal, letting them stay in their gardens, campsites, farms, and of course donations are very welcome.
“We are very proud that they are doing this, and wish them every success. We hope the story touches people in the same way it has resonated with us.”
Follow Phil and Lucky on facebook.com/thelongwalkforstreetvet to see how they are getting on with their journey.
Phil asked if any lorry drivers see them and their orange flag, could they please slow down, as it had been getting quite dangerous when they had to walk on some of the roads.
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