A donation page for a husky who was seriously injured in an alleged attack by two other dogs has raised nearly £30,000. Naevia was injured by two dogs while she and her owner were out walking on Redcar beach on Sunday (February 5).
Marie Hay, from Nunthorpe, was walking six-year-old Naevia when two "bulldog-type" dogs attacked the friendly pet. The dogs were not wearing collars, harnesses or leads, according to TeessideLive.
Naevia was left seriously injured during the attack and was rushed to the vet. She is now fighting for her life at Wear Referrals Veterinary Specialist & Emergency Hospital in Bradbury.
But despite Ms Hay paying £50 a month for pet insurance, the vet bill was not covered. A GoFundMe page was set up in the hope of raising £10,000 to cover the vet's bill but thanks to the generosity of the public, the page has raised nearly £30,000. Ms Hay now plans to use the money to help other animals in need.
Commenting on Naevia's condition, her owner said: "She's made it through the night. She has a long way to go but she's coping and she's still fighting."
Scarring on Naevia's kidneys meant that an operation had to be postponed. It means she will have to remain in the vets all of next week and will still need to undergo further operations.
Ms Hay vowed to use the remainder of the money to help other pets. She said: "I only went out for a stroll on the beach and wasn't expecting a £14,000 bill. Her injuries are catastrophic.
"Any money left over which doesn't get used on Naevia is going to be used to help anybody who is in the same situation as me who hasn't got thousands of pounds to pay out. I'm going to keep the fund open to help people in Naevia's name. This can't happen again.
Cleveland Police has confirmed officers are investigating the dog attack. A spokesperson for the force said: "Police were called to the beach near the caravan park at Redcar just after 3pm on Sunday, February 5, to a report of a dog attack by two bulldog-type pets on a husky.
"Officers attended the scene and took initial details including a counter allegation from the bulldogs’ owner. It’s understood at least one dog received veterinary treatment and a man and three women attended hospital for treatment - primarily for hand injuries.
"As part of ongoing enquiries, we are obtaining more detailed accounts as well as details of any confirmed injuries to the dogs and people involved. Police have already spoken to a number of independent witnesses but would appeal for anyone who saw the incident or who may have footage of it to contact Cleveland Police on 101, quoting ref 022669."
Anyone wishing to donate to Naevia's GofundMe page can do so online. The link can be found here.
