A Wingecarribee SES volunteer was so affected by a dramatic rescue this week she has felt compelled to set up a Go Fund Me to help the victim with a steep medical bill.
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Dakota Kalandis, 22, was called out to Sutton’s Forrest on Wednesday, to rescue an 11-month-old husky cross who had fallen 10 metres off a bridge.
Rex had just been given a new lease on life by Elisabeth Schwarz, 63, who travelled from her home in Port Headland, Western Australia, to adopt him from a pound in Grafton on the north coast of NSW.
A few days into their trip back home, Ms Schwarz pulled over to the Mackey VC rest area on the Hume Highway to let her energetic pup go for a run.
“He’s a young pup and still needs a lot of exercise, at this rest area I saw this track … and I thought that’s the ideal spot to take him for a run,” she said.
Rex was wearing a cone on his head because of a medical condition which is thought to have obstructed his vision, and led to him jumping from a 10 metre bridge.
A dog-owner herself, Miss Kalandis responded straight away to the call, along with many others.
“[Ms Schwarz] jumped over this fence and runs down to him and we find her and him cradled at the bottom of this gully … compound fracture to his front right leg, so open wound and bone protruding, and back left leg broken,” she said.
“We were at the vet and once it was all over and we had to leave, I just looked at her and I started bawling my eyes out.”
The long surgery has gone well for Rex, who as of Sunday was already trying to walk again, but the bill is into the thousands.
Miss Kalandis wanted to help ease the financial burden on Rex’s new mum and created a Go Fund Me page.
Ms Schwarz said any money left over from the medical bills would go to the “wonderful” volunteers at the Moss Vale SES.
“They’ve done so much for me, they’re all so loving and all so caring,” she said.