Cambodian animal lovers are lacing up donated shoes to run the Virtual London Marathon, in aid of a very deserving cause.

Volunteers from London-based charity NoToDogMeat’s newest shelter in Khmer village (outside Siem Reap) are taking on the 42km challenge to help raise awareness and funds for the victims of the dog and cat meat trade.

NoToDogMeat is building the brand new Khmer Paws Protection shelter, which is run by volunteer Chantha Mao and his team of ten students, who he teaches in his role at the local school.

And on the day of the marathon all of them will take part, proudly wearing their charity t-shirts, to help change attitudes and foster more compassion for dogs and cats.

But it hasn’t been easy, many of the students only owned a pair of flip flops, so the London-based charity quickly got together some packages of trainers, socks, t-shirts and other goodies to help ensure a fun and safe event.

On the day the runners will time their races using watches, as they do not have smartphones, a concession which was granted this week by London Marathon organisers, in light of the unique situation.
Julia de Cadenet, CEO of the NoToDogMeat Charity, said: “In Cambodia, the ‘pot and pan’ man comes round exchanging a plastic bucket for villagers’ dogs.

“Unlike Siem Reap which has agreed to help ban dog meat, Phnom Penh, the capital, is full of dog meat restaurants and despite its high price, men and women get drunk and feast on stolen pets and strays. Police can easily be bribed, so that makes lawmaking hard.

“After campaigning successfully for legislation in Siem Reap, we have been working quietly behind the scenes and formed a partnership close to the Thai border, where dogs are often trafficked in horrific conditions.”

She added: “When we told Chantha, that our teams want to run for the dogs and cats in Cambodia, he immediately said he would also run with 10 of his students. Just like our team in China, our new friends in Cambodia are devoted to bringing change.”

To find out more about NoToDogMeat and donate go to www.notodogmeat.com