Strangers donate $12,000 in four hours to save life of beloved pet dog
Thanks to the kindness of strangers, a Newcastle man has managed to raise more than $10,000 in matter of hours to save the life of his sick dog.
Cameron Morton found his two-year-old bull Arab Dozer late on Friday night out the front of his home in West Walls End.
"He was just laying outside, laying on the driveway. He wasn't responding, he was looking real lethargic," the father-of-one told 7 News Online.
He rushed Dozer to the vet and as soon as the pup was placed on the examination table expenses started piling up.
"I was looking at $1500 just to keep him there overnight," he said.
"I had the choice to go home and sell everything thing I own or put him down."
The 27-year-old sought out a mate who recommended he seek help from the Facebook group 'Blokes Advice'.
Mr Morton shared his story with the 160,000-strong community on Saturday morning, with several people suggesting he should start a crowd-fund campaign.
A Go Fund Me page was setup and within moments the donations started to flow in.
In the first five minutes, $1500 had been raised.
"All the boys got together," he said. "Low and behold, there was $12,000 there in about four hours."
Mr Morton was with his mother at the time and when he showed her the rapid response: "She started crying, she couldn't believe it."
Within a little more than 24 hours the page had netted nearly $13,000. Mr Morton said it came from more than "600 people that I have never met in my life".
One person chipped in $265 while another person offered to donate $500, but Mr Morton said that was too much from one man.
There was more good news for Dozer who, after having 1.5 litres of fluid drained from his chest, has started to eat and drink again.
But Mr Morton said they are not out of the woods yet – medically or financially.
"Because the Go Fund Me will take seven days, (the vets) are going to hold him until the money comes through," he said.
The kindness of strangers has had a positive impact, with Mr Morton hopeful two-year-old Dozer will be back to running around with his two-year-old son before long.
"I basically got Dozer so they could grow up together," he said.
"They loved each other from the day they met each other… They are just best mates."
With the vet bill still climbing along with the donations, Mr Morton said he hopes the cost will come in around the estimated $8000-$10,000.
All the money that comes in over that amount will be donated to charity.
For now, Mr Morton said he could not be more thankful to those who have donated and the Facebook community Blokes Advice for showing him the light his moment of darkness.
