Paint the Town Red and help raise funds for canine charity in Aylesbury Vale

The annual community fundraiser in aid of an Aylesbury Vale canine charity is back 'by pawpular demand' for Valentine's week.

Paint the Town Red, supporting Great Horwood-based charity Medical Detection Dogs, will run from February 12 to 19.

Medical Detection Dogs trains dogs to save lives by smelling human disease.

The charity’s Bio Detection Dogs are trained find diseases such as cancer, malaria, Parkinson’s and most recently, Covid-19.

Medical Alert Assistance Dogs are partnered with people with life-threatening conditions including Type 1 diabetes, PoTS or Addison’s disease. They alert their human partner to a change in their smell which indicates that a potentially fatal event is about to happen, saving their lives daily and giving them independence and their families peace of mind.

It costs the charity £29,000 to train each Medical Alert Assistance Dog and it is dependent on fundraising.

Paint the Town Red encourages supporters eat, sleep and breathe red to celebrate the lifesaving dogs and their red jackets, and help raise much needed funds.

Schoolchildren will be creating red artwork, offices will be sharing red bakes dog grooming parlours will be decorating their groom rooms red, and more.

Medical Detection Dogs community fundraiser Carolyn Green said: “By Painting the Town Red with us, you’ll be helping raise awareness of our work and funds for us to train even more lifesaving dogs.

"Everyone will be feeling the love for Valentine’s Day that week anyway - so why not send some our way?

“You can take part with your friends, colleagues, family or school and, as long as it’s red, it goes.

"Bake, run, cycle, dress, walk, decorate or paint – we can’t wait to see red with you all.”

Carolyn added: “Our dogs are being trained to detect some of the most deadly diseases quickly, accurately and non-invasively and could revolutionise how they are diagnosed and lead to better patient outcomes.

"Sadly, diseases like cancer, Parkinson’s and of course Covid-19 affect us all and this work could ultimately lead to more lives being saved.

"The conditions our Medical Alert Assistance Dogs work with are extremely complex and often our clients have given up hope of leading a normal life for fear of falling ill at any moment.

“Our dogs will be wearing their red coats that week, like every week, so please join them in celebrating the colour of love.”

For more information or a fundraising pack, visit here or contact [email protected]