An Inverness family is asking for funds to cover their beloved pet’s medical bills after she was hit by a car.
Lexi, a six-year-old Cocker Spaniel, escaped from the garden of Nicole Tracey, the daughter of owners Allan and Shirley Tracey.
Ms Tracey looks after the dog every week while her parents work and also owns its 12-week-old puppy Skyla.
Lexi ran onto Telford Gardens in Inverness in December last year and was hit by a car, leaving her with a broken leg and requiring specialist treatment in Aberdeen.
Ms Tracey said: “I was leaving the house to take her home in the afternoon as I was due to drop her home before picking my son up from school.
“As I left the house, I noticed the gate was open and she just ran straight out. I shouted at her but she ran straight out onto the road and the car came and it hit her.”
The driver of the car offered to take the injured pet to the vet, however, the incident had shaken Ms Tracey and so she had her mum come and take the dog to the vet herself.
Following the incident, Lexi spent two weeks being treated, with vets initially fearing the leg may have had to be amputated. However, wearing a compression sleeve has helped.
Lexi still needs to have her bandages redressed weekly at Eastgate Vets, costing the family £100 each time.
While Lexi is insured by her owners, the total medical bills to nurture their beloved pet back to health between vets in Aberdeen and Inverness have soared to more than £7,000, with more treatments to come.
Lexi missing out on favourite walks
Pet insurance is only covering about £2,000 of the bills, so Lexi’s owners face eye-watering medical bills.
The costs have forced them to appeal to people for help with more than £1,100 already being pledged online by supporters.
Throughout the treatment, the once lively and affectionate Lexi has been unable to walk properly due to her injury and has lost some of her spark.
Ms Tracey said: “She’s the same age as my son, so they have grown up together and have a special bond. She’s just a loving, affectionate dog, and the family wouldn’t be the same without her.”
In the coming weeks, the decision will be made to continue with compression therapy or if Lexi will require expensive surgery.
Ms Tracey says Lexi means “everything to the family” especially since her two puppies – Skyla and Georgie – are also cared for by the family.
The two puppies are very attached to their mother often taken out on walks together with Lexi’s diving into the water to swim.
However, she has been forced to remain on cage rest while the broken leg heals.
Currently, the GoFundMe page has raised over £1,100, while the Tracey family continue with Lexi’s treatment to get her back to full health.
Conversation