On four paws and two legs to the top

Created: 01/23/2022, 10:00 am

By: Julia Huss

Kevin Mahoney is hiking again with his dog Pearl.

© Private

Puchheim – 147 kilometers, a 15-kilo backpack, four paws and a man: Kevin Mahoney and his dog Pearl have planned a very special walk for this year.

For May, the Englishman is planning a hike from his hometown of Puchheim to the Zugspitze, on foot, with a tent in his luggage and Pearl at his side.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge and the wonderful landscape," explains the 73-year-old, full of anticipation.

But there is much more to this hike than just a joint - somewhat longer and certainly somewhat more strenuous - excursion for dog and owner.

Mahoney originally initiated this sponsored hike to raise money to build a dog playground in Puchheim. The 73-year-old already knows such places, which are available to four- and two-legged friends to exchange ideas with others or to simply give your dog a little freedom, from England and Spain. With his hike he wanted to call for donations to support this project. Since the city of Puchheim is already planning such places, the money is not needed. However, that didn't stop Mahoney from planning his hike and it quickly became clear to him who he wanted to raise money for instead.

During a trip to Africa, Mahoney met the Tanzanian, Kanuth Tarimo, and a close friendship developed.

Since the father of a family offered safaris for tourists and had even built up his own company in this area over the years, the pandemic and the associated travel restrictions hit him hard.

Now the Tanzanian is trying to keep himself and his family afloat with small jobs.

So Mahoney decided to make his trek a reality for his friend and his four children.

Launch scheduled for May 27th

The Puchheimer and his bitch set off on May 27th and want to reach the Zugspitze within ten days. Mahoney hopes to receive a small donation for every kilometer run. The money raised at the end then goes to the Tarimo family and is used for the further education of the four children.

While the focus of this adventure is on a good cause, Mahoney is also aware that the trek will be exhausting not only for him but for Pearl as well. Therefore, the three-year-old bitch was examined by the vet beforehand to see whether she was up to the hike. The two also take regular breaks and will always make a small stop after five kilometers to drink and eat. Of course, this is not the first hike for the two, the two- and four-legged friends have already been in the mountains in Spain. “But this will now be our longest tour. But I've always loved doing stuff like that, adventure is in my blood," Mahoney explains. Even if the two are already looking forward to the shared experience, the focus is onto support the Tarimo family. "When I told Kanuth what Pearl and I were up to, he was so excited. I hope we can find enough supporters to join us in helping Kanuth and his family," Mahoney concludes.

Here is more information about Pearl and Kevin Mahoney's tour and how to support them.

Julia