17/09/2026
An animal rescuer ran 120 kilometers in 24 hours and helped raise $1.5 million to build a hospital named after a dog who spent most of her life chained up.
Niall Harbison began the challenge in North London on Sept. 12, 2026.
His goal wasn’t to run 120 kilometers without stopping. Instead, he had to complete 5 kilometers at the beginning of every hour for 24 consecutive hours.
Whenever a new hour began, Niall had to get back on his feet and start running again.
He continued through the afternoon, the darkness of night and the following morning. Friends and supporters joined him for parts of the challenge, along with several dogs Happy Doggo had rescued and rehomed.
But every kilometer was really for one dog named Tina.
Tina was an elderly golden retriever found on the Thai island of Koh Samui in 2023.
She had spent almost her entire life restrained on a short chain and used for breeding. By the time rescuers reached her, she was starving, suffering and had been reduced to skin and bones.
Tina weighed only 12.5 kilograms, roughly half the healthy weight of a golden retriever.
Despite everything people had done to her, she hadn’t lost her trust in them.
Niall and his team removed her chain and brought her to Happy Doggo Land. For the first time in years, Tina could move freely, eat properly and sleep somewhere safe.
She spent six months surrounded by people who loved her.
But years of neglect had caused lasting damage to her body. Tina eventually died after experiencing only six months of the life she should always have known.
Her death devastated Niall and the Happy Doggo team.
They decided Tina’s suffering couldn’t be allowed to disappear with her. A veterinary hospital would be built in her name to treat sick and injured street dogs that had nowhere else to go.
It would be called Tina’s Hospital For Dogs Who Aren’t Doing So Good.
Construction began at Happy Doggo Land on Koh Samui, but completing the hospital, furnishing its rooms and purchasing medical equipment required far more money.
That was why Niall stepped onto a running track in London.
As the hours passed, the challenge became increasingly painful. Nevertheless, he kept returning to the track every hour until all 120 kilometers had been completed.
Approximately 200 supporters gathered at the beginning of the event, while another crowd waited to welcome him across the finish line. The entire challenge was livestreamed and reached around 200,000 viewers.
By the end of the fundraiser, the campaign had raised $1.5 million for Tina’s Hospital.
The hospital is expected to open in early 2027. It will provide veterinary treatment to vulnerable street and community dogs on Koh Samui and surrounding islands, including animals whose caretakers cannot afford the medical care they need.
Tina spent most of her life unable to escape the length of a short chain.
She was free for only six months.
But the hospital carrying her name will give thousands of other dogs the second chance she deserved.
