Two boys who live in South Africa but who have a family home in Dartmouth have been raising money for dogs in South Africa.

During a trip to Dartmouth the boys, Josh (13yrs) & Jamie (12yrs) Bell, were very taken with all the dogs who were walking happily with their owners in town. The family are We the proud owners of two much loved ‘pavement specials’ in Cape Town.

Mum Lucy takes up the story: “One evening we had intended to go crabbing at Bayards Cove but because the tide was coming in the water levels were too low, so the boys were collecting pebbles on the shoreline. “One of the locals / tourists bet the boys they wouldn’t get in the cold water….

“We are very aware of the dangers of swimming in the Dart and would never promote any child to go near the river.

“For years we watched the children like hawks to ensure they never got close to the water when crabbing because of the vicious currents.

“However, both boys are junior lifesavers (Nippers) at Llandudno in Cape Town which is one of the most challenging bodies of water in the Cape. The water is freezing (16C), the rip currents are exceptionally strong and the waves are big at around 8ft.

“They are both extremely strong swimmers and extremely conscious of water safety. “The tide was incoming in the river and so they offered up a counter challenge to the crowd – if they swam around the closest boat then any funds the spectators chose to offer would be donated to the dog home.

“This wasn’t much of a bet for the boys as the swim took less than five minutes - but the Dartmouth crowd were incredibly supportive, and they raised a grand total of £130. There are many underfunded animal sanctuaries in South Africa who struggle desperately to raise funds, so the boys decided that when converted to South African Rand the proceeds of the swim would go further to benefit more dogs in SA than they could in the UK. The proceeds – 3,000 Rand - were donated to local organisation DARG (Domestic Animal Rescue Group) based in Hout Bay, Cape Town.

Josh, Jamie and DARG wish to thank their generous supporters for the funds raised that will go a long way to supporting the local dogs and cats in need of protection.