The founder of WECare Worldwide, Janey the vet, ran the length of the island in October 2026, completing a gruelling 621 km from Point Pedro in the north to Dondra in the south.
The challenge demanded the equivalent of more than a half marathon a day for three weeks. Janey was welcomed home by her colleagues, friends, and the community, with a raucous motorcade joining her for the last few kilometres, before she burst through the finish line ribbon at Dondra lighthouse in an emotional final display of strength.
For a vet who openly admits she hates running, it was an extraordinary undertaking. But the reason behind every exhausting kilometre was painfully familiar: dogs struggling to survive with nobody to treat them.
Across Sri Lanka, street dogs face road accidents, infected wounds, severe skin disease and hunger. Without veterinary help, treatable injuries can become prolonged suffering. Some animals endure horrific pain before anyone reaches them.
Janey has spent the past 12 years working to change that. She founded WECare in 2014 after witnessing the plight of street dogs during a visit to Sri Lanka. Today, the charity’s team provides emergency treatment alongside neutering, vaccination and education programmes.
Its existing hospital is overstretched, with full kennels and hundreds of suffering dogs on its waitlist. The Dog Jog is raising money towards a new veterinary hospital, rehabilitation centre and training facility, allowing the charity to help more animals and train veterinary professionals. The new facility will allow the WECare team to treat 3,000 more animals per year.
“I’m exhausted, overwhelmed and so grateful. There were moments when putting one foot in front of the other felt almost impossible. Then I would think about the dogs we see lying injured beside roads, frightened, hungry and in pain, with no way of asking for help. My pain had an end point. I knew I could stop, rest and recover. For a dog with an untreated injury, that relief might never come unless somebody steps in.
“To everyone who donated, shared our story or helped us keep going: thank you. £240,000 is an incredible amount of money and a huge step towards the hospital we need. I’ve finished running, but dogs will still arrive needing help tomorrow. That’s why we have to keep going.”
The challenge also brought Janey face to face with the suffering she was running to address. During the route, she encountered Sarnie, an emaciated dog with paralysed back legs, and helped arrange a rescue.
Her run attracted support from broadcaster and adventurer Ben Fogle, whose Channel 5 programme New Lives in the Wild previously featured her work.
With £240,000 raised so far, Janey is asking supporters to help turn the momentum of the Dog Jog into lasting care for Sri Lanka’s street dogs.
The run is over. The fundraising remains open.
Donate at https://www.justgiving.com/page/janeysdogjog
Leave a comment