Moira raises £3,000to help little dog walk

Irene Lowry, the owner of Carly Matilda, a Shar Pei, has paid tribute to the generosity of Moira Hutchinson, who runs a stall at Larne Market to raise funds for animal shelters.

Irene explained: “At Halloween, Moira was at a Mid-Antrim fundraiser where Moira met Carly Matilda. She was in her pet pram. Moira said I want to see her walking.

“So true to her word, she started collecting every week at her well-known stall in Larne.

“Carly Matilda had seen the vets but there was nothing could be done for her, but Moira was not beaten.

“We discussed getting her a wheelchair specially made for her needs.

“Well Carly Matilda was in Larne Market last Wednesday where she was speeding around to the delight of the crowd waiting for her arrival. Moira also paid for some health procedures to be done.

“Moira had raised £3,000 for Carly Matilda, so the money left over, £2,000 went to Mid-Antrim Animal Santuary to fence off the field or part of the field so the dogs can have a good run at this amazing shelter we both support.Moira also gave £100 to LCDR (Little China Dog Rescue) which she supports plus coats and food for The Barn Sanctuary.”

Irene explained that Carly Matilda’s leg had been been broken when she was young and she had “lived in misery” for four years in a cage with two other dogs in China before being rescued, she believes, from the “breeding dog meat trade”.

Carly Matilda was one of nine dogs brought to the United Kingdom by the Little China Dog Rescue charity.

To date, the charity has homed 57 dogs in the UK and Ireland, of which six were disabled since January 2018. Another trip to China is planned in October.