Story
Penny’s Big Heart, My Big Run — Supporting RSPCA Felledge.
Throwback to January 2024: I came across an advert on the RSPCA's website for a 1 Year old American Bulldog in need of home. I saw her little face and her eyes, begging for a place to call home, I just knew I needed to meet her. Straight away it was love at first sight and I knew I needed to take this cheeky girl home. But little did I know just how poorly Penny had been...
“The vet who first examined Penny said she had been starving for ‘weeks to months,’ and an RSPCA inspector described her as the thinnest dog she had seen alive in her 14‑year career. Penny was so weak she couldn’t stand for more than 30 seconds, ‘quite literally wasting away in a filthy cage.’ If the police hadn’t acted as quickly as they did, she wouldn’t have survived much longer.”
Penny was fostered by an amazing Veterinary Nurse, Helen, who nursed Penny back to health. Myself and Helen keep in touch regularly and she loves seeing Penny in her new home, looking ever so slightly fatter!
By 2025, she had already changed my life for the better in ways I couldn’t have dreamed of. And at the end of 2025, with Penny beside me, I’ve shed over 5 stone myself in the past year — she’s been my reason to get up, get out, keep moving and stay healthy. But what I’ve gained with Penny — strength, hope, purpose — means even more to me.
There’s no better way to celebrate than supporting a cause so close to my heart, and no better challenge than the Great North Run
The Great North run is something that I have always dreamed of doing - but didn't ever think it would be possible. It won’t be easy to run 13 miles — not for someone who’s come from where I started — but supporting animals in need makes every mile meaningful. I’ve been training hard these past few months, and my goal is simply to cross the finish line strong!
“Because Penny Was Rescued—And Every Animal Deserves That Story”
Penny now lives life to the absolute fullest — enjoying her daily walks, being her goofy self with her best friends Otis and Millie, snoozing alongside her feline siblings, and ‘supervising’ her horses at the farm. She adores her treats, car rides, and beach adventures, and always ends the day with a cosy cuddle on the sofa.
It costs over £600,000 a year to run the centre, so any donation you can give towards my fundraising truly means the world. I’ve managed to arrange with the RSPCA for every penny raised to go directly to Felledge Animal Centre — the very place that took Penny in — so you can be sure your support will make a real, immediate difference to the animals who need it most.
Your support will fund crucial resources like food, medical treatment, blankets, toys, and shelter for animals who need it most — and it will also inspire me to keep putting one foot in front of the other
Thank you!
Love Beth and Penny x