THE moment Paige Grew clamped eyes on her adorable new puppy, Rose, all the anguish of the past month just melted away.
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The seven-year-old Curlewis resident was thrilled on Saturday to be the beneficiary of a stranger’s stunning act of kindness.
Late last year, The Leader told of how Paige was left traumatised when a pack of three pig-hunting dogs attacked and killed her beloved Jack Russell, Jessie.
The heart-wrenching story struck a chord with reader Meg Arnall, of Ashley near Moree, who contacted Paige’s parents, Kylie Richards and Chris Grew, offering a new-born puppy.
After an agonising wait until the tiny Jack Russell was old enough to leave home, the little girl finally took receipt of the dog over the weekend.
“I just need to say to you one thing: thank you very much, you’ll always be in my heart,” she said to Ms Arnall, before delivering a “bone-crushing” hug. Ms Arnall said it was obvious the whole family cared deeply for their pets and she believed Paige was destined for a career with animals.
“She’s like Bindi Irwin,” she said. “I think she will grow up to be a vet or an RSPCA officer or something, because she just loves animals.”
Ms Richards said she was astonished at the generosity the community had shown the family since the deaths of Jessie and Mr Grew’s dog, Chomp, in the attack.
She said she wanted to thank everyone – especially Ms Arnall and the Brown family in Gunnedah who donated a black labrador puppy to Mr Grew – for their support.
“It’s amazing that there are such nice people out there,” she said. “And I think (the publicity over the attack) has worked a little bit already because you’re seeing less dogs roaming around the streets now.”
Gunnedah Shire Council is understood to have destroyed the three dogs responsible for the attack.