FUND-RAISERS and their four-legged friends will take part in a special walk on Sunday to collect cash for a North Somerset animal charity.

Monty Halls, writer, explorer and presenter of BBC 2’s Great Escapes, will lead the hour-long walk at Ashton Court near Bristol to raise funds for Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary in Barrow Gurney.

The sanctuary, which opened its gates to unwanted and abandoned animals in 1992, faces a continuous struggle to cope with the ever-increasing number of animals in need of shelter and the many at risk of being put to sleep in dog pounds.

Holly Hedge is also full of cats and tiny kittens, some having been abandoned and left to fend for themselves, including four three-week-old kittens dumped in a cardboard box by the roadside.

Holly Hedge is in demand more than ever, and many of their rescues come in needing veterinary attention.

Monty, who became a patron for Holly Hedge after visiting the sanctuary and adopting his dog Reuben in March 2008, said: “What the team at Holly Hedge do is fantastic and this sponsored walk is a chance for the local community and any animal lover to get involved and to show their support while enjoying the beautiful setting of Ashton Court.”

Anyone who would like to take part in the walk, with or without a dog, should call the sanctuary on 01275 474719 to register and receive a sponsorship form.

Participants can also turn up on the day and make a donation prior to the walk.

The meeting point is the field in front of the deer park, next to the car park at the entrance next to the Dovecote Inn in Ashton Road near Long Ashton.