A HOMELESS man is to walk 2,000 miles for charity with his beloved dog.

Forty-nine-year-old Phil Bradshaw will set off from Redbridge train station in Southampton on July 18 and will walk more than 2,000 miles around the coasts and cross country back to London, which will take several months.

Phil, who lives in a homeless hostel, was helped by StreetVet after appealing to them to help his 11-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrierset Lucky when he feared a lump in her mammary glands was cancerous.

Fortunately it was benign, and Phil decided to embark on The Long Walk in aid of StreetVet to say thank you.

Phil said: “Lucky has been by my side since she was a 12-week-old puppy. Her former owner kept her in a cupboard under the stairs. She is my world and when I found the lump I was terrified.

“Living in a homeless hostel, you don’t have access to a vet usually, but someone told me about StreetVet and they came and helped me and operated on Lucky.

“I’m so thankful she’s okay and I wanted to give something back. The walk will be a challenge for us both. Lucky has a buggy for when she gets tired which was kindly donated.”

StreetVet was founded as a non-profit organisation in April 2017, and has helped more than 300 animals. Every week, nurses care for homeless pets in London, Bristol and Brighton among others, and are soon to launch in Southampton.

StreetVet co-founder Jade Statt said: “Phil and Lucky are an inspiration. It would be lovely to have people show Phil and Lucky their support by joining them on parts of the walk, taking them a meal, letting them stay in their gardens, campsite or farms, and of course donations are very welcome.”

Nicky Stevens, founder of International Aid for the Protection and Welfare of Animals said: “We are proud to support the StreetVet programme and feel The Long Walk is a perfect demonstration of the impact their work can have on the lives of animals and their owners.

“Everyone here will be rooting for Phil and Lucky.”

For information and to donate to StreetVet, visit www.streetvet.co.uk/helping-homeless-pets/the-long-walk-for-streetvet.