Animal lover Sean Le Vegan has volunteered to sleep in a dog kennel for 35 days in an attempt to persuade people to give an abandoned puppy a home....

Sean, a volunteer at Manchester Dogs Home, has even had a microchip implanted in his shoulder – just like a real pet.

As part of the  challenge, wardens will ‘catch’ him in the middle of the night on October 5, before they lock him up in an unoccupied kennel.

During the next month, the 35-year-old will have just one hour of freedom a day to use the bathroom and freshen up.

“It’s going to be really tough, but I didn’t want to dress up in a pickle suit or run 26 miles or any of the usual things," said Sean. "I want to really show people what stray dogs go through, and experience it for myself.”

Manchester Dogs Home, which has been running for more than 100 years, rehouses around 4,000 hounds a year.

Bosses were apprehensive when first presented with the idea, but with some careful planning they came round.

They agreed to Sean getting a microchip inserted in March by Oldham body piercers In2Skin, which is hooked up to the dog-care database.

He has also consulted health professionals about his living conditions to make sure they are  safe. His challenge will be filmed by CCTV cameras, which people can subscribe to by donating £5 to the home.

Sean said: “People thought I was absolutely crazy when I first came up with it – particularly the microchip.

“I thought I’d have to go to a foreign country where regulations are slacker. October is when it starts to get really cold – if I want the under-floor heating I’ll have to ditch my doggy bed for the night.

“The toilet will obviously be an issue so I’ve cut caffeine, salt and sugar out of my diet to sustain my water levels. I really want to do this properly.”

Celebrities, dog trainers and groomers will be dropping in to see how Sean is doing and raise the profile of the event.

Follow Sean’s progress on twitter.com/kennel35