A DOG who was abandoned at Ayr train station will be joining his new owner to raise funds for the charity who rescued him.

Kai shocked the country when he was left with a suitcase of his belongings in 2015.

Thanks to the Scottish SPCA – the shar-pei crossbreed was given a new loving forever home thanks to Ian Russell from East Renfrewshire.

Kai and Ian now plan to pound the pavements to raise money for Scotland’s animal welfare charity by running 30km in 30 days.

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The run is part of the charity’s Pounds for Paws challenge, which is being backed by Olympian Laura Muir.

Ian has previously run the London Marathon for the Society and regularly runs with his four-legged companion.

He said: “Rehoming Kai was the best thing I’ve ever done. I feel grateful that he is in my life.

“I take him everywhere with me and he loves being outdoors, which is lucky as I do too.

“I believe it was fate that Kai and I were brought together.

“I decided to take part in Pound for Paws for the Scottish SPCA as they are a wonderful charity that finds forever homes for animals in need like Kai.

“I’m honoured to be doing the challenge with the support of Olympian Laura Muir. I’m excited to get started and I’d encourage everyone to take part.”

 Scottish SPCA’s Katrina Cavanagh who helped care for Kai said, “We are thrilled to have Kai and Ian and Laura Muir be part of Pound for Paws.

“Kai is probably one of our most famous rescue animals. The image of him alone at the train station with his suitcase resonated with people worldwide.

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“We were overwhelmed with people wanting to rehome him. But in the end he went to his loving forever home with his soulmate and we could not be happier for them both.

“Ian has been so supportive of us in the past by running the London Marathon and taking part in other events.

Ayr Advertiser:

“We want as many people to join Kai, Ian and Laura to run 30km in 30 days. The challenge is suitable for everyone, whether you’re an experienced runner or brand new to running. Laura will also provide tips and encouragement along the way.

“We want as many people as possible to take part and raise funds for Scotland’s animals so that we can do Kai proud by helping as many animals as possible.”