VOLUNTEERS at a Hampshire dog-handling club are celebrating raising thousands of pounds for charity.

In the last 14 years volunteers at the Solent District Dog Training Club have raised almost £90,000.

The fundraising effort was launched in 1988, a year after the club started, after a dog belonging to one of the volunteers was diagnosed with cancer of the jaw.

He was referred to the Cambridge Veterinary Hospital by the local vet and made a full recovery after an operation.

From then on the club, which is run by volunteers and dog trainers from The British Institute of Professional Dog Trainers, and its display team have been raising money for the veterinary hospital.

Quizzes, horse racing nights and collections have all added to the fund.

Draws are also held every week at the club's two venues - at Titchfield Community Centre on Wednesday evenings and at St Winifred's Church Hall in Totton on Friday evenings.

One club volunteer has even run a marathon for the cause, raising more than £1,000 last year after completing the 26 miles in four hours, 44 minutes and 44 seconds.

The yearly fundraising total has been presented to the hospital at the end of each year, with the 2004 total of £7,500 being handed over at the club's Christmas party in December.

At the last count at the end of the year they had raised an impressive total of £85,848.20.

Brian Eldridge, one of the club's founders, said: "We are immensely proud of what we have achieved. We are only a small club run by volunteers so it is a fantastic figure to reach.

"I am so grateful to everyone who has donated because without them we would not have raised so much money."