National Dog Walk for The Carers Association

This article and the pictures were sent to Oh My Dog by Emma Murphy from The Carers Association. Every year the association hold a national dog walk that takes place throughout Ireland to help raise awareness and funds. The 2011 National Dog Walk will take place on Easter Monday April 25. To sign up go to www.nationaldogwalk.ie.

Last years walk took place on Easter Monday, April 5th 2010 when dog lovers, families and four-legged-friends walked 5km from Petmania stores around Ireland raising almost €40,000 for the services given by the Carers Association to family carers in the home.

A years' supply of dog food from Royal Canin was awarded to the top dog that raised the most sponsorship for The Carers Association at each National Dog Walk Petmania location – Drogheda, Santry, Navan, Tullamore, Portlaoise, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Waterford and Tralee.

"Your dog is our hero!" says The Carers Association's national fundraising manager, Emma Murphy. "We're delighted to welcome these wonderful dogs and their families to a fun-filled day for a great cause. Funds raised will support Carers Resource Centres, keeping the doors open and the kettle on for family carers in the home, who care for loved ones who are elderly and frail, seriously ill, children with special needs and people with disabilities."

The Carers Association is Ireland's national voluntary organisation for and of family carers in the home. Family carers provide high levels of care to a range of people including frail older people, people with severe disabilities, the terminally ill and children with special needs.

The Association was established in 1987 to lobby and advocate on behalf of carers. While the government has begun to initiate some services for carers, we believe that the vast majority of Ireland's family carers still remain without vital services. These services, such as in-home respite, are essential to family carers. They allows us to continue in our roles as family carers, thus implementing government policy to care for people in their own homes for as long as possible.

Today, The Carers Association has 16 Resource Centres and two Service Projects from which it delivers our range of services.

Highlights from the Waterford leg of the 2010 National Dog Walk.

The poster for the 2011 walk.

Marty Whelan and Mary Kennedy at the launch.

Queenie, one of the stars of the show.

Evelyn, Patch and Bee took part in the 2010 National Dog Walk and had a great day out.