Pen Den manager takes part in Great North Run for Assistance Dogs charity

Pet Den manager, Liane Shield, will compete in the Great North Run to raise money and awareness for the charity Support Dogs. Liane, lives near Gateshead and manages Cardiff based dog grooming and pampering company, The Pet Den Ltd. This will be the fourth time that Liane has taken part in the GNR. She will be fundraising for Support Dogs. The charity trains and provides specialist assistance dogs. It delivers life changing support children with autism and adults with disabilities and epilepsy. Liane said: “My son Jack was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was just nine months old so I know first-hand that the seizures can be very frightening. Dogs are also a huge part of my personal life as well as business life - I have five in total - and I wanted to run for a charity that linked both areas of my life. "I met Support Dogs at Crufts and saw the incredible work they do training dogs to support people with a variety of medical conditions, including detecting and warning about different types of impending seizures.” Raising £3,000 Liane and the Pet Den team of eight runners will join thousands of runners for the Great North Run on September 11. They are hoping to raise in excess of £3,000 for Support Dogs. Liane's cocker spaniel, Heidi, has been accompanying her owner during daily training. Heidi wears her high visibility Support Dogs branded vest. Liane said: “We’re also sometimes accompanied by Heidi’s Cockerpoo puppy. A former North East Pet of the Year, Ava is very pretty and always attracts lots of attention, particularly when she’s in her charity vest, which is great for raising the profile of Support Dogs.” Dogs are not allowed to run the course. They will be present to welcome the Pet Den team over the finish line. “My previous personal best is two hours and 33 minutes,” says Liane. “Just to make it interesting some of our sponsors have kindly agreed to sponsorship based on me getting round the course in just 2 hours and ten minutes so the pressure is on!” Danny Anderson, fundraising manager at Support Dogs said: “We’re delighted that Liane and the Pet Den team are running for Support Dogs. We are entirely funded through voluntary donations and without the support of our fundraisers we wouldn’t be able to continue our important work, training and providing specialist assistance dogs which make such a huge difference to people’s lives.” The Pet Den team is being supported by Newcastle-based Hip and Square, Print and Design which has produced tee shirts, banners and leaflets for the team to help raise awareness for Support Dogs. The Pet Den is due to launch its first grooming salon later this year at Tesco, Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff with a view to rolling salons out in Tesco stores throughout the country. To find out more about Support Dogs visit www.supportdogs.org.uk or follow @supportdogsuk on twitter.