Barking Mad Car Hits Road For Charity

The help, comfort and support these dogs provide is immeasurable, and the service dogs are transforming lives, quite literally saving them.

Three fundraisers are due to visit the UK's rudest place names in a bid to raise funds for Service Dogs UK.

It's a 48 hour non-stop, driving through the night challenge of a road trip across the UK, visiting as many of the rudest sounding places as possible. The car is a dog, and the men involved will be suitable dressed as Lloyd, Harry, and a dog, from the hit 1990's movie Dumb and Dumber.

Squadron Leader Lawson Smith (56) from Sheffield, joined the RAF in 1992, and left in 2010. The AeroSystems Engineer is four times winner of the Queen's Medal, as RAF Service Rifle Champion, and now provides specialist services for cars and motorbikes via his company, Powerhouse. Lawson owns three crazy rescue Pugs, Bella, Mabel and Stanley. He recently had to say goodbye to English Mastiff, Bear.

Gunner and Flight Sergeant, Jack Harmer (59) joined the RAF Regiment in 1979 and served 34 years. Nine of those years were on Deployed Operations, including multiple tours of Northern Ireland and Afghanistan. Jack now runs his own high level bicycle service and fitting business, PedalTech, with Commonwealth Team GB members among his clients. Jack has trained working dogs for most of his life, and currently owns Blue, a whippet, undoubtedly the fastest retriever trained dog in the UK

James Conroy (48) is a dog behaviourist. After many years of rescuing and rehabilitating dogs both in France and the UK, he established the British College of Canine Studies. The specialist College provides home study courses and hands-on experience for canine professionals. Students include dog walkers, Vet Nurses, trainers and behaviourists, staff and volunteers at every major rescue charity in the UK, Police and Military Dog Handlers, the Fire Service and Search & Rescue teams.

James explains "The point of this ridiculous road trip is to raise funds for Service Dogs UK, a charity that rescues, trains and provides dogs to ex armed forces and emergency service personnel, suffering PTSD. The help, comfort and support these dogs provide is immeasurable, and the service dogs are transforming lives, quite literally saving them. That's because dogs are awesome. And when you decide to do a road trip for dog related charities in a car that looks like a dog, you cannot do that trip as anything other than Lloyd and Harry."

The boys have already raised a fantastic £1000 in just a couple of weeks, but have an ambitious target of £10,000.

The start point is yet to be confirmed, but the fundraisers will be crossing the length and breadth of the UK, driving through such places as Fingringhoe, Upper Thong, Shitterton, and hopefully finishing safely way up in the Orkneys, in the charming village of Twatt. The journey is set to begin 4th January 2022. See the Facebook page for details and to follow their trip, and donate at