Staff at Nepean Animal Hospital have been fielding dozens of inquiries since an injured Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Earl was admitted to one of its hospitals on July 1.
Two local teenagers, Christina Jurjevic and Tobi Hamill, were driving on Llandilo Road, near Penrith, west of Sydney, when they saw a four-year-old Staffordshire cross that had apparently been struck by a vehicle. The dog sustained severe fractures, including a shattered pelvis and internal injuries.
Jurjevic and Hamill contacted Nepean veterinarian Tony Karolis, who agreed to meet the young women at the hospital and offered to halve the cost of treatment.
Determined to see Earl well and rehomed, Jurjevic and Hamill established the “Help Save Earl Fund” on Facebook, and animal welfare group No Kill Rescue has raised $1500 towards Earl’s treatment.
Friends, friends of friends and strangers have contributed amounts ranging from $10 (a 12-year-old girl’s weekly pocket money) to $400.
Despite the publicity generated by an article in the local paper and the Facebook campaign, Earl has not been claimed, and Jurjevic intends to adopt the dog when he has recovered from his injuries.
Blaxland-based Karolis graduated with first-class honours in veterinary science from Sydney University in 2001, and is the owner of Nepean and Mountains Animal Hospitals.
Cash donations to the Help Save Earl Fund can be made by calling Nepean Veterinary Hospital on (02) 4733 3456.
AMELIA DALTON