The owner of Buddy, the singing dog who reached the 2011 Britain’s Got Talent semi-finals, has turned to the public for help after he was hit by a van.
Pippa Langhorne, 29 from Worcester, said Buddy was injured on Monday July 13 during a family walk.
She initially set her fundraising bar on GoFundMe at £1,200, but has now raised it to £5,000 after receiving news that Buddy will require a hip operation.
“With lockdown and coronavirus, all my work’s dried up,” Ms Langhorne told the PA news agency.
“I cancelled my pet insurance at the beginning of lockdown because I thought I’ve got no work now this year, and that’s all I rely on… my singing and Buddy.
“Little did I know he was going to get hit and I (would) have this bill. I just thought, ‘I don’t actually know how I’m going to pay for this’.”
Ms Langhorne reached the semi-finals of the 2011 edition of Britain’s Got Talent, singing classical music while Buddy howled along.
Before the incident the pair still attended dog shows and parties together, but Ms Langhorne is unsure whether Buddy will be able to continue performing after his recovery.
“I just don’t know after this accident how he’s going to be because I haven’t tried singing with him yet,” she said.
“He’s not good with other people at the moment. If anyone goes near his cage he thinks they’re going to hurt him.
“Everything that I have is because of him.”
To donate to Ms Langhorne and Buddy’s GoFundMe page, click here.