After ten years of unforgettable memories with her beloved cat Misty, keen runner Laura Wren has run a remarkable 230 kilometers – a total distance equivalent to five and a half marathons – in celebration of Misty’s life.
When Misty passed away in 2020, Laura found it hard to be at home with nothing to focus on. When she saw that she could honour Misty’s legacy on Pet Remembrance Day through Battersea’s Pet Tribute Funds, she began exploring her options for fundraising and decided to take part in several running challenges to celebrate Misty and keep her memory alive whilst fundraising for the dogs and cats at animal welfare charity, Battersea, in her memory.
Laura ran 100 kilometers in a single week during lockdown in 2020, which marked the start of her fundraising journey in memory of Misty. Since then, Laura has taken part in a number of running challenges, including the 45km South Coast Ultra Challenge and Virtual London Marathon in 2021, and running 50km for Battersea’s ‘Run a mile a day in May’ challenge.
Laura was Misty’s third owner and described her on their first meeting as “perfect”. After ten years of friendship, Misty was sadly diagnosed with heart disease and said her final goodbyes to her family in May 2020. Misty is fondly remembered by her family for her many quirks, including giving her loved ones a gentle nudge or head butt if you stopped fussing over her, and going crossed eyed at the sight or smell of chicken.
A pet’s loving energy, presence and unique quirks make them treasured members of the family. Pet Remembrance Day, which takes place every year on 5 July, helps us to remember the dogs, cats and other animals who are no longer with us but will always have a special place in our lives.
Laura said: “I wanted to research events that I could link into Pet Remembrance Day and raise money for Battersea to give their dogs and cats the chance of finding their forever homes and have the love and support that we gave to Misty for the ten years we had her in our lives, ten years of precious moments and memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.
“The support I received from Battersea from the moment I told them my plans was incredible. It felt like Battersea was with me every step of the way and remained with me on my journey to this day. I will be forever grateful for the support Battersea has given me, and I want to thank them for being there in one of the most challenging and difficult times of my life.”
Tessa Bailey, Legacy and In Memory Fundraising Manager at Battersea, said: “Laura has been an incredible supporter of our work as an animal welfare charity. The funds she has raised from the incredible challenges she completed in Misty’s memory will allow us to support even more dogs and cats everywhere. Without the fundraising efforts of our generous supporters like Laura, we couldn’t do what we do here at Battersea.”
