Dr. Janey Lowes has completed 107km of her epic ‘Dog Jog’ across Sri Lanka as of 13 October, raising £ 42,525 towards a new veterinary hospital as she tackles the country’s demanding northern terrain and stops to help suffering street dogs along the way.
Dr. Lowes admits she hates running but has completed the first 107km of an extraordinary 600km challenge across Sri Lanka, raising £ 42,525 of a £ 1.25m target to help save the country’s estimated three million street dogs.
Originally from Barnard Castle in County Durham, Janey is now on stage five of her 22-stage ‘Dog Jog,’ with another 493km to go as she attempts to run from the northern tip of Sri Lanka to its southernmost point.
The 38-year-old vet, who founded animal welfare charity WECare Worldwide in 2014, is taking on the gruelling challenge to raise$ 2 million towards a purpose-built veterinary hospital, rehabilitation centre and training facility.
But just days into her extraordinary adventure, Janey has already experienced the physical and emotional demands of running through northern Sri Lanka. Her route takes her through an area historically affected by landmines, military conflict, and displacement, including the strategically important Elephant Pass region.
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.
“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,” said Janey.
83 street dogs in just 25 km
On the very first day of her challenge, Janey counted an astonishing 83 street dogs in just 25 km, 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 28 km every day, she has already stopped during the run to treat a street dog suffering from severe skin disease.
The dog, named Reef, has extensive hair loss and open weeping sores all over her body which spells trouble in the tropics where flies and maggot wounds are rife. Janey administered treatment and explained that the intervention could transform her life 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. “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 493 km 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% have prepared her for the physical demands of the challenge, but the reality of running day after day is another matter.
With blisters already appearing during the opening stages, Janey faces another 493 km before reaching her destination at Dondra, on Sri Lanka’s southern coast.
“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 40,000 rabies vaccinations, 26,410 neutering procedures and 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.
£ 42,525 raised towards a £ 1.5m 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 £42,525 already raised and hundreds of kilometres still ahead, Janey hopes her extraordinary challenge will inspire animal lovers around the globe to support the appeal.
“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.”
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