A CAT LOVER from Petersfield is planning to put on his walking boots to tackle the Jurassic Coast Challenge, raising funds for Haslemere’s cat adoption centre.

Steve Dew, 53, will walk the 100km route in Dorset on May 15 and 16 – if restrictions allow – taking in sights such as Durdle Door, Chesil Beach and Portland Bill.

He will be raising funds to benefit Cats Protection’s Haslemere Adoption Centre. If restrictions are still in place, Steve will undertake the equivalent distance from his home.

A long-time supporter of the charity, Steve adopted black-and-white Billie from the centre in December. Knowing the impact of the pandemic on the charity, he committed to helping through a sponsored walk. Steve said: “I’ve always loved cats and did a London-to-Brighton 100km walk in 2016, so I know I can cover the distance.

“It’s tough to walk that far over two days, especially on changing terrain, but I’m looking forward to taking in the scenery and coastline as I go.”

Steve has been training for the event by walking 10km at a time and building up to day-long walks on the South Downs. He has set himself a fundraising target of £500, which will provide enough food for 75 cats for 33 days – the average time a cat stays in the charity’s care from the time they arrive. He said: “We’ve supported the Haslemere centre ever since we adopted our first cat Freddie, who was the friendliest ginger tom. He lived with us until he was 15 when he sadly got hit by a car and had to have his leg amputated.

“We hoped he’d fully recover but not long after he lost the use of his back legs and had to be put to sleep. We missed him so much but in December realised we were ready to welcome another cat into our home, which was when we adopted two-year-old Billie.

“It’s been wonderful getting to know Billie and now by raising money for the centre we can help lots more cats like him.”

To donate, see justgiving.com/fundraising/stephen-dew67