A FUNDRAISER has been launched to help cover vet bills following a vicious dog attack earlier this month.
When four year-old Harvey, a Parson Jack Russell, was attacked by two large unleashed dogs in the Kilcooley Estate in Bangor earlier this month, it was thought that he might not survive.
To the relief of his owners, Raymond and Valerie Burke, the little dog pulled through after a costly visit to the on-call vets of over £1,660 – with more bills to come.
The attack resulted in Harvey needing multiple stitches to his leg and neck areas, as well as treatment to numerous puncture wounds.
While the Bangor couple did not think twice about paying the bill to save their dog’s life, they were both surprised and delighted to discover a Just Giving page has been set up to help off-set the costs.
Karen Whitely, who lives in the Kilcooley Estate, set up the fundraising page in hopes of raising £1,000 for the couple after hearing about the attack from her son Kyle, who had been on scene during the attack.
She explained how her 16 year-old son had been walking home after school when the attack occurred on Friday, October 12.
Kyle noticed the unleashed dogs in the Ballyhalbert Gardens area of the estate and had petted them while looking round to see if they had escaped from their owner.
As he continued on his journey, the schoolboy heard a scream and found Raymond Burke fending off the dogs from Harvey.
Mr Burke had been walking his beloved pet towards the bus terminals in the estate, along a raised footpath in Ballyquiton, when Harvey stopped to sniff a fence.
It was at this moment, the two unleashed dogs attacked Harvey, causing him and Mr Burke to fall down the hill and onto a layby.
Mr Burke previously described how one dog had Harvey by the throat and the other by the back leg and seemed as though they were going to ‘tear him apart’.
As Mr Burke lay on top of Harvey, in an attempt to save him from the attack, young Kyle and another man were able to remove the attacking dogs.
“Kyle just thought it was a man being attacked, he didn’t realise that wee Harvey was beneath him,” Karen stated.
“It was only when he got up that he realised the dog was there and he was convinced Harvey was dead because he wasn’t moving.”
Karen added that her son was ‘delighted’ to discover Harvey had pulled through.
“I just thought because my son had been there we would set up the Just Giving page to try and help them out,” she continued, adding that the donations were a reminder of the ‘good people in the world’.
“We have a wee pug and it could have happened to us walking the dog and it is just terrifying. Right where the attack happened, the kids have made a wee swing on the tree down there and so if it happened in summer there would have been kids playing there.”
Harvey is currently doing well, having had his stitches removed, but is still very nervous after the ordeal.
A spokesperson for Ards and North Down Borough Council updated: “Council is continuing to investigate this incident and is in regular contact with the owners of the injured dog.
“Once enquiries have concluded, we will update the owners on our findings.”