🐾💚 70 Miles, 4 Paws, and £330 Raised for Children’s Hospice South West! A Tale of Mystery, Muddy Tracks, and Magnificent Heroism 💚🐾

By Mini Mabel, Chihuahua Detective (and Champion Distance Walker, Obviously)

Listen closely, dear readers, for I have a tale to tell, one of danger, determination, and quite frankly, dazzling bravery. This October, my faithful companion Arnaud and I embarked upon what some might call “a challenge.” I prefer to call it a mission.

The case? Walk 70 miles across Cornwall to raise funds for Children’s Hospice South West, an organisation that provides care, comfort, and kindness to children and families who need it most. The verdict? Case closed. Mission accomplished. £330 raised. You’re welcome.

Now, Arnaud did his part: lacing up his walking shoes with all the drama of someone preparing for a stage performance (though clearly, he learned that from me). I, naturally, required no such fuss. I simply strode out the door with the confidence of a dog who knows she’s about to make history.

We turned this into a proper Cornish investigation using our National Trust memberships to explore the territory, sniffing out clues in woodland trails and along breath-taking coastal paths. Every park, every pathway, every mysterious rustling bush required my expert attention. One must be thorough.

The highlight? St Michael’s Mount that magical tidal island near Marazion where the sea retreats and reveals a cobbled causeway. Picture it: mist rolling in, waves whispering secrets, and there I was, silhouetted against the dramatic sky, my mane fluttering in the breeze. Positively cinematic, darling.

We weren’t alone in our quest. A fabulous squadron of chihuahuas joined us in Truro (strength in numbers, you understand), and the delightful Maud and Mabel, shipoos of excellent character, trotted alongside us at Kit Hill on the Cornwall-Devon border. Even detectives need backup.

Our supporters? Global. Cornwall, Devon, Suffolk, Scotland, Northumberland, Kent, Essex, Wakefield, London, the Cotswolds, and….wait for it….Pennsylvania, USA! 🌍 It seems my reputation precedes me across continents. How thrilling.

But here’s where the story shifts, dear reader. Here’s where it becomes less about me (shocking, I know) and more about why. A family who uses the hospice reached out personally to thank us. They shared a little of their story, one that reminded us both why we were putting paw after paw on soggy, wind-battered paths. On the difficult days, when even my legendary stamina was tested, that message kept us going. Step by step. Paw by paw. 🕊️

By month’s end, we’d cracked the case: 70 miles walked, countless muddy paw prints left behind, and hearts fuller than when we started. This adventure proved something I’ve always suspected: you don’t have to be big to make a difference. Sometimes the smallest paws leave the biggest prints. (Though I am exceptionally striking for my size, let’s be honest.)

✨ Here’s to walking for kindness, investigating hope, and always, always, making an entrance. ✨

Dramatically yours,
Mini Mabel 🎭🐾
Chihuahua Detective, Distance Walker, Legend

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