Guernsey Mind is going walkies at L’Ancresse

Dogs are invited to register for the Walkies! event beforehand by selecting a time slot and donating £5 to the charity.

Start times are staggered to avoid congestion and to keep the dogs’ welfare in mind.

Guernsey Mind’s Amanda Hibbs first got the idea for the event after a conference call with one of the UK’s Mind branches which had been talking about it, and thought it was an excellent idea.

‘We know how much our pets can be of benefit to us with our wellbeing.

‘They get you out in the fresh air every day and they give you some routine.

‘All of our pets are really good listeners and they listen without judgement – we want to celebrate that fact,’ she said.

The event is sponsored by Gravity, which has also connected to the cause behind the walk.

‘Mental health is something that used to be more of a taboo, but it still needs more awareness for people to talk about it. Someone might seem fine on the outside, but inside they’re not,’ said Gravity spokesperson Olga Rabey.

Guernsey Mind has also invited the therapy dog charity Paws for Support to get involved, as both organisations share the aim to look after people’s mental wellbeing.

‘With dogs it makes it a lot more approachable.

‘It’s one of those things that anybody can chat to anybody about it, even if you’re not a dog person.

It starts a conversation,’ said Paws for Support volunteer Beki Le Cheminant.

The walks take place on Sunday morning at the Loophole Tower 6 car park by the Beach House at Pembroke.

Each slot is limited to a maximum of 50 dogs.

Staggered start times are 8am, 8.30am, 9am and 10am.

Entry fees are set at £5 per dog, with all dogs receiving a small goodie bag.

Each dog raising over £20 will be entered into a prize draw.

For dogs which did not cope well with crowds, there is an option to do a walk remotely using a different route.

Dogs will still be eligible for a goodie bag and the prize draw.

To book and for further information, visit www.guernseymind.org.gg.