'It's amazing she's still here': Emotional moment owner welcomes husky home after beach attack
A dog owner was overcome with emotion after bringing home her beloved pet after it was badly injured by two other dogs on a beach.
Marie Hay has been trying to raise awareness about the dangers of dogs not being kept on leads after her husky Naevia was attacked on Redcar beach on 5 February.
Ms Hay said: "I can't describe how much it means to our home because of the way that the vets were with her. They are literally miracle workers otherwise she wouldn't have been here."
The tearful owner said without the vets, Naevia would have died.
Naevia suffered catastrophic injuries and lost 83% of her blood after being attacked on a Sunday stroll by two other dogs who were not wearing collars or leads.
Ms Hay praised the care Naevia had from Wear Referrals and the outpouring of support online.
She thanked the 2,900 people who donated to her GoFundMe page that was set up after Ms Hay was told the £50 she pays for insurance a month would only cover £3,000 of a now expected £23,000 vet bill.
She said: "I wouldn't have been able to afford that. So, it's just amazing that she's even still here."
The Nunthorpe mum-of-three's dog needed multiple surgeries, a blood transfusion and intensive care.
The husky's home-coming moment was caught on camera.
Naevia's story has touched many people and the fundraising campaign has now topped £40,000.
Ms Hay said after bringing Naevia home as soon as she walked through the door she got her "personality back" and added she had been overwhelmed by people's kindness.
It seems returning home for Naevia was just what the pet needed to put that pep back in her step and she is already back to her old tricks, including trying to eat the cat's food.
However, Naevia has a long road to recovery ahead of her. Ms Hay said: "She will have to go back every couple of days to the vets for her wounds to be checked, and her kidneys, and also has to be referred to a vet in Harrogate for her K9 as the dog knocked it out during the attack.
“I want to thank you all for your continued support and in sharing Naevia’s horrific story. As much as it pains people to share it. It is raising awareness of how important it is to keep your dog on a lead.”
Ms Hay is already planning to donate £2,000 of the funds to help a family in Ireland after their Shih Tzu, Teddy, was attacked by another dog.
"A dog in Ireland has gone through a similar thing as Naevia," said Ms Hay.
She added: "The woman only needs £2,000 to get him to the point he won't need treatment anymore. I'm going to use some of Naevia's funding to pay for Teddy."
Following the attack, Cleveland Police has confirmed they are investigating. On Friday 17 February a police spokesperson said there had been no update on the case.
In a statement last week a force spokesperson said: "Police were called to the beach near the caravan park at Redcar just after 3pm on Sunday 5 February 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."
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