The owner of a dog walking and pet service business in Wimpole is walking 30 miles in one day to raise money for Heathlands Animal Sanctuary.

Sophie Harding, who runs The Paw Companion, took on her first charity walk in lockdown to raise money for dogs in need.

She said: "It started in 2020. I did a 20-mile walk for a charity called Safe Rescue which is based in Norwich, where we got our rescue dog from that year.

"They were needing money during Covid, and I just continued the trend so I did it again last year for Spaniel Aid."

Sophie moved to Wimpole last year, so chose to support Heathlands Animal Sanctuary in Royston as it is a local charity.

On Saturday, October 1, Sophie will walk 30 miles in one day, starting and ending in Wimpole and travelling through villages in South Cambs.

"I did 26 miles last year and it took me nine-and-a-half hours," Sophie said. "I'm hoping it won't take any longer than 10-and-a-half hours."

In order to get the walk accomplished within the day, Sophie plans to start at 7am - which is around sunrise.

Sophie's business, The Paw Companion, offers dog walking as well as dog boarding and other pet care services.

As a professional dog walker, Sophie's job has prepared her for the physical challenge of walking so much in one day.

She said: "I do about four-to-five hours of walking each day anyway because of the job.

"I also do fitness classes I've just been upping them and doing more weight work to get my legs prepared.

"I had to battle the mud last year because I did the walk in November, so this year I'm doing it earlier."

So far Sophie has raised more than £800 of her £1,000 target for Heathlands Animal Sanctuary. In previous years she raised £1,265 for Safe Rescue for Dogs and £1,340 for Spaniel Aid UK, and hopes to take on other walking challenges in future years.

Heathlands Animal Sanctuary is a registered charity run solely by volunteers, which rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes unwanted pets, including dogs, cats, rabbits and some types of caged birds.

To donate towards Sophie's walk go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sophie-h2.