Jasper dog fund handed to Wasdale rescue team

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-30112069

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A grateful dog owner has handed over a cheque for £63,000 to the rescue team who helped find his pet after it went missing on a mountain.

Adam Nolan's border collie, Jasper, vanished during a walk up Scafell Pike in the Lake District on 2 November.

His #FindJasper campaign went viral and led to Jasper being found by the Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team.

It prompted Mr Nolan to organise a JustGiving page, which attracted more than 5,000 donations from wellwishers.

'Fantastic sum'

In the first 30 minutes, £1,500 was pledged and the figure eventually rose to £51,547.

Together with gift aid, a total of £63,000 was raised and presented to the team during its annual general meeting at its Gosforth headquarters.

A spokesman for the team said: "This is a truly fantastic sum of money that we never expected or dreamed of.

"We we will ensure that the funds are wisely spent, contributing towards a new base that will ensure a more efficient volunteer rescue service to meet the increasing demands in search and rescue across the Lake District."

Members of the public, a helicopter and the mountain rescue volunteers were involved in the search for Jasper, who was eventually located four days after he disappeared on a ledge near the summit of Scafell Pike.