A beautiful, sunny Cornish afternoon set the scene as the Cornwall Dachshund Walkers hosted a heart-warming Mother’s Day gathering in the latest of their monthly meet-ups, writes Harley Rowlands.
Organised by Claire Louise, this second meeting of the group saw several community members from across the Duchy come together to play with their beloved dogs and catch up with their owners, all while supporting the RSPCA.
Among the visitors to the their dog walking paddock in St Columb Major were CHAOS Radio community journalists Harley Rowlands and Janice Rose, who caught up with a variety of individuals, including Clare, to learn more about the event’s significance and the group’s ongoing support for the RSPCA.
Upon arriving at a secure enclosure, they were greeted by large barks from little legs and had to first pass security in the form of Claire’s two sausage dogs, Sage and Lincolnshire, who were dressed the part and ready to inspect all attendees through the gate. Once passed security, the dogs were set free and the fun began.
Harley, who attended with his miniature Dachshunds puppy, stopped Claire to ask how it came about and where her love for sausage shaped canines began.
“So, I just love sausage dogs,” she replied. “The breed are just the most fantastic breed. They are so fun and just make everybody smile. They’re so comical. I love getting people together to socialise – not just for the dogs but for people as well, so they can share their love for the dogs, get to talk to people and make new friends. It’s just one of those things that brings a smile to everybody’s face every time I do these meets.”
The RSPCA branch in St Columb Major is self-funded and, like so many others, relies solely on donations from the public. Claire advised all in attendance that there was a minimum donation of £2, with a total of £65.43 raised directly for the charity. Donations of food and toys were also welcomed.
Harley later met with Lorraine – owner of two standard lovely, long-haired Dachshunds called Louis and Tor – and asked if her dogs had any individual quirks.
“[They are] escape artists,” she laughed. “Louis is the best escape artist you’ve ever found, ever. And Tor, oh, I don’t know, what’s yours, Tor? You’re just loving, aren’t you?”
As Harley and Janice made their way round the enclosure, they bumped into Kelly and David, dog parents to Dinky and Lilith, and it soon came to light that David hadn’t even wanted a dog originally.
“So I’ll be sitting on the sofa and suddenly this small ball of dog will run and leap in your lap and snuggle down,” said a won over David, pictured above. “It’s like, OK, I guess I’m not moving for an hour then. I didn’t even want a dog to be fair but this one captured my heart, and I was like, OK, I’m a dog dad now”
David was converted that much, that Dinky and Lilith have now got a little castle to go and sleep in.
If you are interested in going along to the next of their meets, which are held on the last Sunday of each month, full details can be found on the Cornwall Dachshund Walkers group on Facebook.
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