Suffolk Dog Day at Helmingham Hall cancelled due to heat

Organisers say they are disappointed but have to put the safety of dogs and people first

Suffolk Dog Day, a charity event celebrating the county's four legged friends, has been cancelled due to hot weather.

The event at Helmingham Hall near Stowmarket, in aid of the St Elizabeth's Hospice, was due to take place on 10 September.

Organisers said advice from vets and the RSPCA was that the temperatures were "really dangerous" for dogs.

Safety of animals and people had to come first, the hospice said.

Hannah Bloom of St Elizabeth's Hospice said the "very difficult decision" to cancel Dog Day was taken late on Tuesday night.

She said: "When we were planning dog day, September, we know the weather is nice but it's not usually as extreme and as hot as this.

"We've been having conversations for a while with the RSPCA and vets who were going to be on site and the guidance is anything above 24 or 25C (75 -77F) , when dogs are either walking or out in sunshine is really, really dangerous."

'Really disappointing'

Temperatures are forecast to reach 26C (79.8F) on Sunday.

Ms Bloom said the set up for the event would lead to dogs spending more than 20 minutes in direct sunlight and there was not enough shade for the number of people expected to attend.

She said: "It's really disappointing because we were looking forward to it and so many people were looking forward to it, but we can't risk [it] , throughout everything we've put safety of supporters first.

"Unfortunately the hospice loses out but we can't risk having a dog attend that was unwell or a person attend that was unwell."

"It used to be in July and we moved it to September to stop this happening," she added.

The event is the second biggest, behind the Midnight Walk, in the hospice's fundraising calendar and was expected to raise £80,000.

She said anyone with tickets and all trade holders would be contacted in due course.

The hospice said the possibility of rearranging it for another date was being considered.