Dog Abandoned At Train Station Loves Helping His New Dad Run Marathons
"It's a piece of cake to him as he's so young and fit."
Kai the Shar-Pei mix was found abandoned at a train station in Scotland, tied to a railing outside the station. He was left with a suitcase filled with all of his belongings, including toys, food, a food bowl and a pillow. The Scottish SPCA found out about Kai and took him in, hoping to eventually find him a loving forever home.
Kai was microchipped, but the family he was registered with said they'd sold him online two years prior, and didn't have contact info for his current owners.
"This case highlights the potential consequences of selling an animal online, as it often leads to the impulse buying of pets that people know very little about," Stewart Taylor, an inspector with the Scottish SPCA, said in a press release.
Since no one seemed to want the sweet 3-year-old dog, Kai was put up for adoption - and after the Scottish SPCA posted about Kai, he seemed to win the hearts of everyone who heard his story, and hundreds of people applied to adopt him.
"Kai's story was really sad and many people likened him to Paddington Bear, given he was found alone at a railway station with his suitcase," Alan Grant, senior animal care assistant with the Scottish SPCA, said in a press release.
After sifting through countless applications from places as far as Los Angeles, France, Spain and the Philippines, staff at the SPCA chose the perfect family for Kai, and he was finally able to meet someone who wanted him more than anything. Only a month after he was rescued, Kai was adopted by his new dad, Ian Russell.
"When I heard about Kai, I knew the little guy needed a break, but I never thought in a million years I'd get him," Russell said in a press release. "I called the Scottish SPCA just to check he was okay and see if there was anything I could do to help. I honestly think it was meant to be."
Kai has been with his new dad for a few years now, and the pair could not be any closer if they tried. Russell has a job which requires him to travel all over Scotland in his van, and he always brings Kai with him - meaning they get to spend almost every moment together, playing and adventuring.
Russell may have rescued Kai, but Kai also rescued Russell in a way, bringing him so much joy after he lost his previous dog. Russell decided he wanted to honor Kai and all that he has done for him in the short time they've been together - by running marathons for the Scottish SPCA to help other dogs like him.
"Raising funds for the Scottish SPCA is what it's all about. I was lucky enough to rehome Kai and really want to give something back," Russell said. "I'm in my fifties now so training has been more difficult, especially as I've had some bother with my ankles, but I'm not chasing a brilliant time, I just want to complete it one way or another and support the Scottish SPCA."
This year, Russell ran the London Marathon for the second time in honor of Kai and the Scottish SPCA, and his furry best friend helped him train for the race every step of the way.
"Kai loves coming out running with me when I train, and it's a piece of cake to him as he's so young and fit," Russell said.
Kai started out life being unwanted and unappreciated, but now he has someone who loves him more than anything, and is willing to run miles and miles to prove it.