CLEVER canines and their owners have raised enough money for five life-saving defibrillators to be given to schools in Swindon.

The first of the machines were handed over to Dorcan and Lawn Manor Schools last week. Others will be presented to Uplands College, Liden Primary and Tadpole Farm at the beginning of next term.

The money was raised by dog trainer Janet Garrett, some of her pupils and fellow dog owners after she heard about the Swindon Heart Safe appeal being run by mums Sonia Dykes and Kayleigh Headland to install a defibrillator in every school in the town.

Janet said: “I decided that I would actually buy one myself for the school where my grandson goes, Red Oaks.”

So last month eight-year-old Chester performed the official hand-over at his school.

But then Janet devoted her training school’s annual fundraiser to the campaign. For the last two years it has been for Children in Need and in November.

She said: "I decided to bring it forward to June and see if we could buy four of them so they would be ready for the start of the new school year in September.”

As well as running a fun day where owners paid to enter a dog show and join in an agility competition she and her own dog Mack went to Nationwide where he entertained staff by performing tricks and giving cuddles during their lunch hour.

And when she counted up all the cash she found she had enough to buy one extra machine.

The Government offers a scheme that helps schools to buy them at the knock down price of £450.

She said: “I feel absolutely thrilled to be doing it, but at the same time as I hand it over I say: ‘I hope you never have to use it'.”

Heart Safe was launched by Sonia, who has two children with heart conditions. Her son Tyrone, 15, suffered serious brain damage following an unexpected cardiac arrest when he was a baby.

Ten years later her little girl Tiarna also suffered an arrest. Now both children have implanted mini defibrillators and their conditions are monitors by medics.

Sonia was joined by Kayleigh earlier this year. Her young daughter Ellie-Mai stopped breathing and it was only when she was revived and taken to hospital that doctors discovered her heart condition.

Ellie-Mai still needs medical treatment so when she started school for the first time Kayleigh asked if the school had a defibrillator.