Milton Keynes animal lovers encouraged to paint the town red for lifesaving pooches

For Valentine's Day, Medical Detection Dogs is launching the national fundraiser - Paint the Town Red - to raise funds as well as awareness of its lifesaving work.

And between February 9 and 15, the charity is asking people to celebrate the colour red in whatever form they like.

Schools can host red mufti days, workplaces red cupcake sales and businesses can decorate their shopfronts in red.

Medical Detection Dogs trains dogs to save lives by smelling human disease, like cancer, malaria and Parkinson’s.

Community fundraiser at Medical Detection Dogs, Carolyn Green, said: “By joining in with our Paint the Town Red week you will not only be celebrating love for Valentine’s Day but also raising funds and awareness of the work of our amazing dogs.

“The diseases our Bio Detection Dogs are trained to detect affect every single one of us and they could be at the forefront of early diagnosis of cancer, Parkinson’s and other diseases and ultimately more lives being saved.

"The conditions our Medical Alert Assistance Dogs work with are extremely complex and often our clients have given up hope of leading a normal life for fear of falling ill at any moment. These wet-nosed knights in shining armour turn this around and save their lives in more ways than one.

“Our dogs will be wearing their own red coats with pride that week so please join them.”

For more information or to order a fundraising pack, click here or email [email protected]