The Kettering dog with a long list of achievements

A very special dog from Kettering has helped his owners raise money for charity, beat depression and meet more people.

Colin, the 10-year-old Jack Russell/Chihuahua cross was re-homed by the Martin family six years ago and during that time he has helped his owner with his mental health, taken part in numerous sponsored events and become a popular fixture of Kettering in his own right!

In April, Colin the dog took part in The 2.6 Challenge, an event launched to help charities plug the gap from fundraising lost when the London marathon was cancelled.

Anyone that donates to his JustGiving page will receive a link in return for a downloadable photo story of him completing the challenge.

His owner, Kate Martin, a college lecturer, said: "With Colin being so popular we thought it would be a bit of fun to create a story around the 2.6 mile walk he completed with his family at Wicksteed Park.

"While Colin loves walking it was actually a challenge for him. He is scared of water and had to be carried over the wooden bridge."

Colin the dog helped his family raise an amazing £266 for Ovacome, an ovarian cancer support charity. The family's JustGiving page said: "Ellie, our daughter, works for Ovacome so we have first hand information about how hard it is for people suffering from this disease, especially during the Covid-19 crisis."

The beloved pet unfortunately came down with a severe bout of gastroenteritis after the challenge, but is fully recovered after a trip to the vets.

Kate said in the time they have had Colin, he has really helped their family. She said: "He always brings so much joy to everyone and even helped my husband Paul get through depression.

"Paul was off work and at home and sitting around a lot, while I was working full-time. Colin made him get out and interact with others. He is a very special dog."

Colin even has his own social media pages and can be found on Instagram as @ColinMrocks.

Colin's JustGiving page is available here.