A fundraiser to help a Stirling student pay for the vet costs after his beloved pet dog plunged from a two-storey flat has smashed through its original target of £8,000.
The online page was set up to help Alfie Harrison pay for emergency treatment after 11-month-old Italian greyhound/whippet crossbreed puppy Noodle suffered broken bones in his forelegs from the fall.
He had leapt from the window of Alfie’s brother’s apartment in Cornwall after spotting his owner on the ground and trying to reach him.
The 24-year-old student, who is in the third year of an aquaculture degree at Stirling University, sold treaured items including a pair of guitars and a Playstation console to pay for the treatment bills.
But he was still left with a daunting £8,000 bill after insurance did not cover the accident.
The Observer reported on Noodle’s story last week and since then, the Go Fund Me page has soared - with more than 400 donations from all over the world totalling £8,055 at time of going to print.
Alfie admits he has been left astonished by the level of generosity received and admits it has come as a massive relief after the stress of the accident.
Alfie said: “It’s been an absolute madhouse in the last week and I’ve been absolutely floored by it all.
“We thought we might get a few hundred pounds maximum when we set up the fundraiser and we never expected this level of support and kindness at all.
“The last year hasn’t been easy for myself or anyone and I think maybe it has restored my faith in humanity a little bit.
“It just feels like a total weight off my shoulders because after the accident, I knew there was no way we could say goodbye but paying that amount of money just seemed unfathomable and we were really reaching at straws about how to do it.
“I don’t know if maybe the theraupetic help Noodle gives me resonated with some people; most of the messages have been from dog owners and I think they put themselves in that position and couldn’t imagine it would be like if it was their dog in that situation.”
The energetic puppy is still recovering from the trauma, but has been moved off medication as he begins his rehabilitation from the fall.
Meanwhile, Alfie has committed that any extra funds raised beyond treatment costs from the page will be given to the Scottish Greyhound Sanctuary organisation.
Alfie added: “Noodle is doing a wee bit better - he’s been told to stick with rest but he’s so energetic and loves to go to King’s Park to run around.
“He’s becoming more and more like himself and he’s getting back to being a bit cheeky after coming off the pain medication so he’s coming along just fine.”
