James Middleton’s Stolen Dog Bike Has Been Found — and He’s Paying It Forward in the Best Way
James Middleton is back on the road with his beloved pups!
Kate Middleton’s younger brother revealed on Instagram on Wednesday that his pet-friendly bike, which was stolen earlier this summer, has been found.
“As some of you know my beloved @babboe_cargobike dog bike was stolen a few weeks ago,” he wrote. “Amazingly through the power of social media someone spotted the bike and it was recovered but sadly had been damaged.”
Now that he has two bikes on his hands (he got a replacement bike after his was stolen), he’s restoring the original bike with the help of bike manufacturer Babboe and donating it to the animal charity, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.
“I know it will get lots of use moving various residents around from the elderly to the injured to the overly excited pups wanting to get to the park quicker!” Middleton said, adding, “This bike brings me so much happiness, its my favourite way to get around London especially to take Ella & Co to the park where they get to spend more time running on grass than on the pavement.”
Earlier this year, James opened up about his battle with depression, recounting his darkest moments before seeking treatment a little over a year ago. He also credited his dogs with providing emotional support.
“I recognize, too, the role my dogs — Ella, Inca, Luna, Zulu and Mabel — have played in my recovery,” he wrote.
“Ella, particularly, has been my constant companion for ten years and she’s been with me to all my therapy sessions. In her own particular way, she has kept me going,” he continued. “As a result, Ella and I now volunteer with the Pets As Therapy charity and Ella is a fully-fledged therapy dog for PAT.”
James later revealed his reason for speaking out on his experience is to help change the stigma associated with mental illness.
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In addition, James felt compelled to follow the lead of his sister Kate, brother-in-law Prince William and Prince Harry, who have been strong advocates for mental health.
“They believe we can only tackle the stigma associated with mental illness if we have the courage to change the national conversation, to expel its negative associations.”
