A Haddenham woman who rescued a starving, diseased dog in Turkey and is running a marathon for the charity that helped bring him to the UK has already raised £232.

Wisbech Standard: Caroline Brown, of Haddenham, is running a marathon to thank the charity that helped bring her pet pooch, Artes, to Cambridgeshire.Caroline Brown, of Haddenham, is running a marathon to thank the charity that helped bring her pet pooch, Artes, to Cambridgeshire. (Image: Archant)

Caroline Brown, who lives with her husband Danny, is training with the pet pooch she saved to help her notch up the miles in aid of other dogs in distress. Her fundraising target is £750.

Caroline and Danny rescued Ates and brought him to the UK after Turkish animal charity KAPSA appealed to their supporters to find a home for a dog they were caring for who was seriously ill.

Caroline, who is 43 and a member of Ely Runners, is currently in training with Ates for a marathon in Edinburgh on May 27/

They often run into her work where he stays with her. As training buddies, Caroline and her pet pooch are no strangers to the running world as the pair took on the 18-mile Ely Runners Trail Run together.

Wisbech Standard: Caroline Brown, of Haddenham, is running a marathon to thank the charity that helped bring her pet pooch, Artes, to Cambridgeshire.Caroline Brown, of Haddenham, is running a marathon to thank the charity that helped bring her pet pooch, Artes, to Cambridgeshire. (Image: Archant)

Caroline said: “When we saw Ates’ little face peering out of the timeline, we fell in love.

“We’d supported KAPSA since our first holiday to Kalkan five years ago and the charity’s volunteers made the process of adopting Ate? very straightforward.

“And in January 2015 he arrived at a chilly Gatwick to begin his new life with us. Since then he runs every opportunity he gets.

“Ate? could rival Usain Bolt in the 100 metres and Mo Farah in the marathon. He’s way fitter and faster than me. But it wasn’t always so.

“I am now looking forward to completing my marathon training with a very fit and healthy dog and hopefully he can run the next one with me.”

A spokesman for the charity said: “Poor Ates was on the brink of death when he was found. Starving and living rough on Turkey’s streets, he was suffering from distemper and riddled with mange.

“He was most certainly facing death. Volunteers treated him for months until he showed signs of recovery.

“When Caroline and her husband saw Ates’ little poorly face staring out at them from their Facebook newsfeed they fell in love instantly and decided to take the plunge and bring him home back to the UK.”

If you would like to sponsor Caroline on her marathon run, visit her fundraising page www.mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/caroline-and-ates