Shropshire pooch Max is face of postcard world record campaign
Max the Staffy is a veteran of the canine world at the grand age of 18. And now the Shropshire pooch is at the centre of a postcard campaign to highlight the plight of older dogs waiting to be adopted.
The Staffordshire bull terrier’s owner is hoping to break a world record.
Max celebrated his latest birthday on Monday with owner Kate Chapman, who adopted him two years ago.
Since finding each other, Kate and Max, who live in All Stretton, have made it their mission to encourage others to consider adopting an older dog, especially Staffies.
They have now set their sights on their most ambitious challenge to date – breaking a Guinness World Record for the longest line of postcards.
Kate said: "Staffies always seem to get bad press, this is such a shame as it simply isn't true. They are gentle, extremely loving and loyal dogs. But so many people seem to prefer a cute little puppy."
Friends
She started a Facebook page to share Max’s story and he now has more than 4,000 friends all over the world. Then, one day, a postcard landed from one of Max’s online friends in Colorado – and sparked an idea.
Kate started a postcard challenge, with the aim of winning Max a world record for the most postcards ever received by a dog.
However, after more than 1,000 postcards were sent from as far away as Canada, New Zealand and Australia, the attempt was rejected. Rather than accept defeat, Kate and Max set their sights on another record – the longest line of postcards, which currently stands at 2,299 metres and was made using 17,636 postcards.
To safely break the record, they are aiming to collect at least 20,000.
Kate said: "If we can use this record attempt to publicise how loving and rewarding old dogs can be then it will all be worth it."
Send postcards to Max the Staffy, All Stretton, Shropshire, SY6 6.
