Doggy party raises over£1K

Dog Friendly Perthshire, a new tourism website which aims to promote Perthshire as “The Dog Friendly Capital of Scotland” officially launched on National Pet Parents Day, at a sell-out event which raised over £1190 for a local dog charity.

Over 100 dog-lovers and their four-legged friends attended Puppies and Prosecco, the first event of its kind at the Green Room, the largest dog-friendly venue in Perth city.

With plenty of doggy treats available for pups and their owners, including themed cocktails, treat bags, a popup photo booth and face painting, the successful event was well supported by local dog-owners and dog-friendly businesses. Generous prize donations to the fund-raising raffle helped raise £1,193 for dog rescue, Perthshire Abandoned Dogs Society.

Katie McCandless Thomas originally set up Dog Friendly Perthshire as a Facebook page in 2015. As a long-time resident of Perth, she and her loyal Lhasa Apso Baxter are on a mission to promote Perthshire as the Dog Friendly Capital of Scotland.

Katie said: “We’re absolutely overwhelmed with the support that we have received for the launch of Dog Friendly Perthshire.

“We managed to raise an incredible £1,193, and every penny is going to PADS to help the dogs in their care and support them to continue the amazing work that they do.

“The Puppies and Prosecco event was such a success we are already planning another one with The Green Room for later in the year.”

Joanna High, Manager of PADS is delighted with the total raised: “£1,193 is an astonishing donation and is comparable with the amount raised at our largest annual fundraiser event, Scrufts dog show.

“Work is about to begin on a £20,000 renovation of the external areas at the kennels, so these funds will make a considerable dent in the bill.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Katie and the dog-friendly community of Perthshire for the support and wish her all the best with her new website.”