Hello!

My name is Caitlin, my dog is called Precious, our walk is starting in less than two weeks, on the 3rd of March 2025.

Precious is my Assistance Dog, she use to be my pet until something occurred in January 2021. Precious helps me with my Autism. With no training she helps me with my Autism, low blood sugar and seizure. The low blood sugar is due to the anorexia

We are embarking on a journey to walk over 1,000 km to raise vital funds for StreetVet and The Listening Place, two very small charities. Both charities saved each our lives.

You can read more about why both charities became intwined in our lives, each organisation came into contact with us for different reasons and as such it would be to long to post here.

The Listening Place fundraising page is: www.justgiving.com/page/tlp

StreetVet fundraising page is: www.justgiving.com/page/sv

I feel bad as I’ve also had to create a separate crowdfunding page to help me achieve this event, and I feel a bit guilty asking for additional support.

The funds raised through the crowdfunding page will go toward the monthly travel I need to return to London for my specialist injections to manage my autoimmune disease. One of the injections must be kept refrigerated and can only be out for 30 days, which means I need to travel back and forth from where I leave off on my walk. As I progress further north, the travel costs will increase.

Additionally, the funds will help cover the cost of Precious’s specialist food, as she has a sensitive stomach and skin and cannot tolerate any other diet. It will also go toward food and snacks for both of us during the walk.

To remain transparent, I will post receipts to show exactly how your generous contributions are used. Please know that the funds will not go toward alcohol or anything unnecessary.

The walk will start on the 3rd of March 2025, we will walk from Pimlico, The Listening Place, the centre where I got my support from, walking first to Brighton, along the South Coast to Lands End, as if that was not hard enough! We will then travel north to Inverness. We will climb the three National Peaks.

On the 2nd March, Precious will be assessed to see if she is well enough to do the walk. As StreetVet help homeless people with their pets, I will be will camping replicating the difficulties of homeless people looking for somewhere to sleep. I will be carrying approximately 18+ kg rucksack too!

StreetVet has 16 outreaches throughout England, Wales and Scotland. We, are committed to walking to each one. I say ‘we’ not sure if Precious agrees! I think she would prefer to be curled up on the sofa watching the birds in my garden, thinking that’s my dinner or watching the squirrels!!

As stated I need to buy dog food for Precious. Precious has specific dietary needs which can only be achieved by buying from Pets at Home, as it is their own brand of food, Ava Sensitive Skin and Stomach. I can only carry the small bag of dog food. For a 2 kg bag is nearly £15 - a 15 kg is nearly £50.

Through the help of StreetVet in 2020, (when I was street homeless and) when she was extremely poor, her poo was like chocolate milkshake! It took three months of trial and error to find which food nourishes her and that she could tolerate. Now her poo is like sweet potatoes! Sorry! To much information! Therefore I must be carefully of what she eats.

Additionally, there may be occasional stays in budget accommodations for rest and that important wash of human and clothes!

As I train for this challenge, it has become clear that she can only manage 15 km a day. I was planning 40-50 km every two days and rest on the third day when we start our big walk. I have been doing 20 km everyday but realise that this is to much for her. I was just focused on getting to point b. Not really seeing much and not really enjoying it as much as I would like. I have been in England for 30 years and have not seen much of it, now that is going to change.

Since starting wild camping in September 2024, my seizures, which was caused by the incident on the 19th of January 2021, (see StreetVet fundraising page), I was having up to 30 or more a month, I have had only two since September. Furthermore, my mental health has improved so much that I no longer feel as deeply suicidal as I was at the end of 2023. (Further information is on the The Listening Place fundraising page.)

The training has been vital, making mistakes, some silly but some that I will not make again! I am sure through this intensive training that this Walk will be a success.

I will only be able to achieve this through your kindness. It will also help me to help these two charities that have saved us.

With immense gratitude,

Caitlin and Precious

The email for contact: stop.look.feel@gmail.com

Our Instagram is: @stop_look_feel

Mobile/WhatsApp: 074 9524 1740

I will post daily of our progress when I am on the walk.