A terminally-ill mum is planning to leave her dog with a place in history – by spending her final months sailing around Britain with her.
Lori Murdock, 57, wants Betty the Patterdale terrier to become the first canine to travel all the way around the UK by sea.
Brave Lori began planning her voyage when doctors told her there was no cure for her aggressive form of skin cancer and gave her nine months to live.
The mother-of-three set sail from Topsham, Devon, this week on board a restored 1950s wooden yacht with two-year-old Betty and her partner Stephen Rodwell, 60.
She will stop off at various locations around the coast, hoping to raise cash #10,000 for cancer charities, before returning to Devon three months later.
Solicitor Lori, who has previously sailed across the Atlantic, said: “I’ve been fortunate enough to sail to some wonderful places but I realised that I did not know my own island.
“Nine months is no time at all so I realised I needed to make this trip happen and I only hope that I’m alive long enough to get all the way around.
“Betty is a seasoned sea-dog and shouldn’t be too fazed by a few months at sea.
“It might sound traumatic but she loves the boat and she has her own lifejacket which she has been wearing since she was a puppy”.
Mum-of-three Lori was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in September 2009 two years after she first expressed concern to her doctor who failed to spot the cancer.
By then the illness had spread to other areas of her body leaving her with no hope of survival.
Lori will use her voyage to highlight the importance of getting an early cancer diagnosis.
She added: “Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer but it can be cured in most cases if you catch it early.
“I’m hoping that by doing something like this I can raise awareness and if it helps one person then it will all be worth it”.
Lori and Betty have a wonderful trip; Dusty and I want you to enjoy every moment. Dusty travels everyday to work with me 🙂