Who are Winston's Wheels

I created the charity following my own journey caring for Winston who, at the age of nine, began showing signs of a more pronounced swagger.  This led to the diagnosis of a tumour and the loss of the use of his hind legs.  Determined to give him a fighting chance and through the kindness of a stranger, we were given a specialist wheelchair that Winston could use so he could keep visiting his favourite places around Sudbury.

It inspired me to set up a charity providing wheelchairs for dogs with mobility issues or illness - so they can continue being dogs.  Winston had three years in his wheelchair. Everybody who knew him knew he was so happy and he could still do everything he did before - just differently.  He was still the same dog - the only difference is that his hind legs didn't work.

Initially, Winston’s Wheels began as a fundraiser on Facebook to buy and then loan out wheelchairs, which can cost anything from £230 to £800 (depending on the dog's size).  And I'm so proud to be able to say that, just three months after Winston’s passing, we received charity status and have been able to make Winston's Wheels his legacy.

The charity currently has over 300 wheelchairs that are all out with dogs across England and Northern Ireland.  Many vets and dog physiotherapists are now recommending owners to reach out to Winston's Wheels for help - and, over the years, this has enabled us to keep more than 700 dogs on the road!

We raise funds by selling merchandise and by holding raffles on our Facebook charity group.  We attend as many dog shows as we can to help owners understand their dogs can still live happy and fulfilling lives with disabilities, as well as to publicise the  charity and, as always, to raise funds - so we can help even more dogs stay mobile.