Dr Janey Lowes has completed 162km of her extraordinary Dog Jog across Sri Lanka, raising £44,755 towards a new veterinary hospital as she battles tropical heat, exhaustion and blisters while stopping to help suffering street dogs along the way.
A British vet who admits she hates running has completed more than a quarter of an extraordinary 600km challenge across Sri Lanka to help save the country’s estimated three million street dogs.
Dr Janey Lowes, 38, originally from Barnard Castle in County Durham, has reached stage seven of her 22-stage Dog Jog, covering 162km with another 438km still ahead.
The founder of animal welfare charity WECare Worldwide is undertaking the gruelling challenge to raise funds towards a new veterinary hospital, rehabilitation centre and training facility in Sri Lanka.
Already, the challenge has raised £44,755 towards a £1.5 million fundraising target, as Janey runs from the northern tip of Sri Lanka towards its southernmost point at Dondra.
But just seven stages into her extraordinary adventure, the physical and emotional demands are taking their toll.
Janey’s route has taken her through some of the country’s most challenging northern terrain, including the strategically important Elephant Pass region, an area historically affected by landmines, military conflict and displacement.
Combined with punishing tropical heat, humidity, long distances and the constant sight of dogs needing veterinary attention, the challenge is proving as demanding mentally as it is physically.
In an earlier account of the challenge, Janey described the experience: “Running through the north of Sri Lanka has been quite an experience. It’s an incredibly beautiful part of the country, but there’s also a real sense of its troubled history. You find yourself thinking about what people here have lived through, while trying to keep putting one foot in front of the other. And everywhere I look, there are dogs that need help.”
83 Street Dogs in Just 25km
On the very first day of her challenge, Janey counted an astonishing 83 street dogs in just 25km, highlighting the scale of the animal welfare crisis she has dedicated almost 12 years of her life to tackling.
And despite the pressure of completing approximately 27km a day, she has already stopped during the run to treat a street dog suffering from severe skin disease.
The dog, named Reef, had extensive hair loss and open, weeping sores across her body, leaving her vulnerable to infection and flystrike in Sri Lanka’s tropical climate.
Janey administered treatment, explaining that veterinary intervention could transform the dog’s condition within weeks.
For a woman who has spent more than a decade treating Sri Lanka’s sick and injured street dogs, running past an animal in distress simply isn’t an option.
As Janey explained in an earlier account: “The hardest part isn’t necessarily the running, though that is tough physically. It’s seeing dogs that desperately need veterinary care and knowing I can’t stop to help every single one. I’m a vet first and foremost, so my instinct is always to do something. That’s exactly why we need this new hospital. There are simply too many animals suffering without access to treatment.”
Blisters, Exhaustion and 438km Still to Go
Janey has made no secret of the fact that she dislikes running and has never experienced the elusive runner’s high.
Months of training in temperatures reaching 34°C and humidity of 85% helped prepare her for the physical demands of the challenge, but the reality of running day after day is another matter entirely.
With blisters appearing during the opening stages, Janey has now completed 162km, leaving another 438km before reaching Dondra on Sri Lanka’s southern coast.
She has already covered 27% of the total distance, with 15 stages still ahead.
Janey previously described the physical toll: “I knew this was going to be tough, but I don’t think anything quite prepares you for running day after day in this heat. My feet are suffering, I’m exhausted and there are moments when I wonder what on earth I’ve signed myself up for. Then I see another dog struggling at the roadside and remember exactly why I’m doing it.”
From Backpacker to Animal Welfare Campaigner
Janey’s connection with Sri Lanka began in 2014 when, during a backpacking holiday, she was shocked by the number of street dogs suffering from untreated injuries, disease and neglect.
Rather than return to Britain and forget what she had witnessed, she established WECare Worldwide, which has since grown into a veterinary charity providing free emergency treatment, neutering, rabies vaccinations and community veterinary services.
The charity estimates that approximately three million street dogs live in Sri Lanka.
Since its establishment, WECare Worldwide reports delivering more than:
40,408 rabies vaccinations
26,633 neutering procedures
6,101 emergency treatments
However, the charity’s existing veterinary hospital, operating from a converted nursery school in southern Sri Lanka, is now overwhelmed by demand.
Janey and her team regularly face the heartbreaking prospect of turning away seriously sick or injured animals because they lack the space and resources to treat them.
£44,755 Raised Towards a £1.5 Million Target
The Dog Jog is part of an ambitious fundraising appeal to create three interconnected facilities:
An emergency veterinary hospital providing lifesaving treatment for sick and injured street dogs.
A rehabilitation centre offering specialist care and recovery facilities.
A veterinary training centre helping develop the next generation of Sri Lankan veterinary professionals.
The charity estimates that the new hospital and rehabilitation facilities could provide treatment for approximately 3,000 additional animals every year.
The training centre also aims to support more than 200 veterinary professionals annually, helping extend veterinary care into communities across the country.
With £44,755 already raised and hundreds of kilometres still ahead, Janey hopes her extraordinary challenge will inspire animal lovers around the globe to support the appeal.
In an earlier statement, Janey explained: “Every kilometre is bringing us closer to something that could change thousands of animals’ lives. We’re not asking for luxury facilities. We’re asking for the space, equipment and training to give sick and injured dogs the care they deserve. If people can spare even a few pounds, they’ll be helping us build something that will make a difference for years to come.”
And despite the blisters, exhaustion and enormous distance still ahead, Janey remains focused on the animals that inspired her to start running.
As she puts it: “I’m suffering so that street dogs don’t have to.”
Follow and Support the Dog Jog
Funds raised: £44,755
Fundraising target: £1.5 million
Donate: https://www.justgiving.com/page/janeysdogjog
Follow Janey’s progress: https://www.thedogjog.co.uk/run-tracker
Website: https://www.thedogjog.co.uk/
Instagram: @janeythevet | @wecare_srilanka
