AFTER seeing a driver swerve to hit a friend’s dog, 13-year-old Brooke Donelly not only rushed to its aid but she also vowed to raise enough money to pay his owner’s $1000 veterinary bill.
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Brooke said she and her friend Tannaya Stokes-Hicks were sitting in a park in Cargo on December 14 when they witnessed the driver of an old model Toyota ute swerve to hit tiny Noodles, an Australian terrier cross.
The girls then saw the dog limp into a neighbour’s yard where they found him unable to move with blood covering his hind legs.
“He ended up having a dislocated pelvis, and he had to spend two days at the vets,” Brooke said.
Brooke said she had known Tammy Cain’s dog Noodles for years and was shocked someone could be so cruel to such a defenceless animal.
“He’s such a calm dog, he couldn’t bite anyone,” she said.
Mrs Cain and her children were on holidays at the time of the accident, and Noodles was being cared for by relatives, including Mrs Cain's father-in-law, who paid the veterinary bill.
Brooke said she knew Mrs Cain was going through a difficult time following her husband Phil’s recent death.
“I just wanted to help her out so she could pay her father-in-law back and also have some money to help out with Noodles.”
Brooke produced a flyer explaining Noodles’ accident and asking people to put cash in a fundraising bucket at her family’s business The Cargo Inn.
“Everyone in Cargo knows Noodles, he wanders around a lot,” she said.
“Most people also know what the family have been through and they know that Tammy’s got a very special bond with her dog.”
Brooke said she spoke to Mrs Cain about the fundraiser and was told her efforts were “very generous and very cute”.
Brooke’s mother Donna Donelly says she’s very proud of her daughter and is confident she’ll be able to rally the Cargo community to help.
Mrs Donelly said her own son died three years ago and a short time later the family dog became very ill and had to be treated for the parvovirus, racking up a $1000 veterinary bill.
“I think Brooke knows how they feel,” Mrs Donelly said.
Mrs Donelly said she wasn’t surprised to hear Brooke was trying to help the Cain family.
“That’s Brooke, I’m just so proud of her,” she said.
tracey.prisk@fairfaxmedia.com.au
