Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh features Deeping St James dog Chester and owner Victoria Knox to promote Pumpkin and Friends animal charity
A cavapoo boosted his celebrity status with an appearance on the small screen.
Chester and his owner Victoria Knox appeared on ITV’s Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh to promote the animal charity Pumpkin and Friends.
The organisation has given Chester a new lease of life after he became partially paralysed through illness two years ago.
The charity gave him a set of wheels which have allowed Chester to return to all the things he loves most - long walks and trips to the beach.
He often attracts attention while taking his wheels for a spin and his owner Victoria was so grateful for the charity’s support that she signed up as a volunteer and jumped at the chance to appear on television to promote its work.
She said: “We’ve owned Chester since he was a puppy. We got him after my mum died to bring us a bit of happiness. He used to come to work with me when I owned a salon in Wittering and he was so popular with my clients.”
After the pandemic Victoria decided to open a salon at her home in Deeping St James where Chester continued to enjoy the attention from visitors, but two years ago he started to become anxious.
Victoria called upon a vet and an animal behaviourist when Chester “wasn’t himself” but neither could find anything wrong. He then woke up one morning and was paralysed in his back legs.
Chester was diagnosed with a degenerative spine condition and had surgery but the odds of him walking again were 50/50.
Victoria discovered the Pumpkin and Friends charity online and within 24 hours of making contact with them, she received a set of wheels through the post for Chester.
She said: “Chester has adapted perfectly and we’ve never looked back. The first time we took him to the beach with his wheels he ran straight off and we couldn’t catch him.”
The charity has given Chester his freedom but also provided new friends for both him and his owners who regularly attend meet-ups with other families.
At the start of this month Victoria and Chester travelled to Chalkwell Beach in Southend to film Love Your Weekend. They didn’t get to meet Alan Titchmarsh himself but were interviewed by a producer and spent the weekend in a dog-friendly hotel with seven other animals and their owners which have been supported by the charity.
Victoria said: “It has given the charity some amazing coverage and it was a lovely thing to be a part of.
“I feel like Chester coming to us was meant to be. Its unusual for his breed to have this condition and I don’t think everyone would be able to cope with the extra challenges it presents but has has an amazing life.”
Next month Victoria’s husband Gavin will compete in the Lincoln 10k to raise money for Pumpkin and Friends. Every £300 raised will pay for a set of wheels while £50 covers the cost of a hydrotherapy or physiotherapy session.
Chester has his own social media accounts for people to follow his progress. One video of him at the beach has clocked up 10,000 views. Followers can find him at @ChesterKCavapoo on TikTok and Chester.Cavapoo on Instagram.
More details about the Lincolnshire based charity are available at www.pumpkinandfriendscharity.com and Chester’s episode of Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh is available to view on the ITV hub.
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