Finding new ways to raise funds for vital services can be tricky, but one family found a way to raise more than £1,000 for charity – by finding one of their beloved sheepdog pups a home.

Wanting to give back to the charity that saved his life, 30-year-old farmer William Gill and his wife Alyson chose to put their sheepdog Jess’s puppy up for auction.

But instead of taking the profits for themselves, the couple are donating the £1,100 raised to the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), as a thank you for saving William’s life back when he was a teenager.

Alyson said: “William was in a really nasty accident when he was about 14 – he got run over by a tractor, and GNAAS rescued him.

“He always felt like he’d never had the chance to say thank you, so it was his way of finally showing how grateful he was to them.

“They also rescued his dad some years later, who had a quad bike accident, so they really do mean a lot to us as a family.”

The 29-year-old continued: “It’s amazing to have raised so much for GNAAS with the auction – they really did save [William’s] life, so to give a little bit back is really nice.

“The amount of support and people making donations outside of the auction has been so overwhelming as well, and we’re so grateful to see so many people wanting to help.”

But it hasn’t all been good news for the mum- and dad-of-two, from Bewaldeth, near Cockermouth, as the auction also received a lot of backlash – something they were “disappointed” and “really upset by”.

“People thought we didn’t care about the puppy’s welfare, but we said the whole time that we would make sure it was going to a safe, happy home,” Alyson said.

“It was between two bidders at the end, and we checked both of them to make sure the pup would have a good life – the welfare of animals is always our top priority, and we’d never do anything to put them in harm.”

She added that the auctioned puppy – who was one of three in the litter – will be going to a “lovely” woman from Ennerdale, who has a large field for her new pet to run around in, as well as plenty of treats and toys all ready for the pup to enjoy.

Alyson said: “I’m entirely confident the dog is going to have a fantastic life – they'll have the happiest life possible with their new owner, and get absolutely spoilt rotten.”