A devoted dog owner has been left facing crippling debts after a US road trip with his beloved puppy turned into a ‘nightmare’ when she was run over.
Kane Erwin, from Shoreditch, east London, decided to embark on an adventure of a lifetime by travelling across the States with one year-old Lucy by his side.
But after enjoying an epic holiday exploring mountains, lakes and rolling prairie lands, the pair were just days away from flying back home when his young Dalmatian was suddenly hit by a car.
Her injuries were so severe she has had to undergo multiple surgeries and skin grafts, while Kane has found himself stranded in America until his dog is well enough to travel home with him.
His plight has been made worse by the fact he could not afford pet insurance abroad for Lucy – but now he has had to stump up thousands to provide her medical care, as well as support himself through an unexpected extended stay in the US.
At a point of feeling ‘overwhelmed’, Kane has now launched a GoFundMe campaign to help relieve some of the financial pressure he faces amid mounting medical costs for Lucy.
He has so far raised just over £4,000, with Kane brought to tears when he thinks about the ‘kindness of strangers’ helping him through the ongoing ordeal.
The 35-year-old, who has gone back to studying after formerly working as a freelance photographer, looks upon Lucy with a special fondness not only because she is his first dog – but also because he credits her with ‘changing his life’.
Kane Erwin has been left facing crippling debts after a US road trip with his beloved puppy Lucy turned into a ‘nightmare’ when she was run over
The pair were just days away from flying back home when the young Dalmatian was suddenly hit by a car while in Texas
Lucy suffered a large 20cm by 5cm raw open wound on her right front leg, as well as gashes to her left leg and a double fracture
He told Daily Mail: ‘I lost my dad in 2016 and suffered depression afterwards.
‘It’s not like everything has gone away, but she has helped change my whole outlook on the world. She has changed my life in so many good ways.’
Speaking from New York, where Kane has been living between his car, a friend’s sofa and the occasional hotel room over the last month while Lucy recovers, the beleaguered Brit recalled the fateful day that changed both their lives.
He said: ‘We flew out on 4 August and had been out in America for about a month when we arrived in Texas.
‘Ten days before we were due to fly home, we met up with a friend in Austin before driving over to the Lake Whitney State Park campsite with Lucy.
‘It was really beautiful and we spent the day there enjoying a barbeque.’
Within the confines of a state park, dogs are usually required to stay on a lead – but the park was ‘completely empty’ apart from Kane and Lucy – and he believed she was safe enough to wander freely.
Kane had wanted to enjoy an adventure of a lifetime with Lucy by his side across the US
As the sun began to set at around 9pm, Kane sat by the campfire ‘listening to music, and just hanging out.’
He recalled: ‘Lucy had been nearby chewing her bone, but then I looked around and suddenly she wasn’t right behind me anymore.
‘So I got up, and I called out her name and called again.
‘And that’s when I realised there was a road running through the park and Lucy had crossed to the other side.
‘I called out her name – but then saw a car’s headlights just at that moment and she was already running back to me. There was no way for me to stop her from coming.’
Seconds later, Lucy was struck by a large SUV and was seriously injured, before running off in fright.
‘When I finally got to her, there was just blood everywhere and large gashes in her front legs,’ said Kane, who was left distraught by what had happened.
After being rushed to an emergency vet, Kane was told Lucy had a large 20cm by 5cm raw open wound on her right front leg, as well as a double fracture. She also had a nasty gash on her left front leg.
The pair are now stranded in the US until Lucy is well enough to fly home again
The vet he initially saw in Texas remained ‘pretty confident’ that Lucy’s broken leg could heal in a splint and the pair would be able to fly home as scheduled from New York.
Having arrived in the Big Apple, Kane took Lucy to the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center (AMC) to get Lucy’s fit to fly letter – but instead was handed the news that one leg had become infected, while another was showing signs of infection.
They also told him she would need skin grafts, overnight stays, x-rays and more medication to help her leg heal fully.
‘I had a $14,000 bill from the AMC, and then $2,400 for the other vets, where her bandages were changed. Its all going on credit cards at the minute.’
He added he would need another £2,500 for a pet cargo plane to transport Lucy directly back to the UK with him.
‘I had seen this trip as a chance for me to be in nature with my dog and just have fun. We were camping and having experiences off the beaten track, rather than staying in hotels.’
He has so far raised just over £4,000, with Kane brought to tears when he thinks about the ‘kindness of strangers’ helping him through the ongoing ordeal
Kane said he had looked into purchasing pet insurance abroad for Lucy before they left the UK, but the costs were prohibitive for what was meant to be a modestly-budgeted trip.
The cost of taking a pet abroad can range from a few hundred to more than a thousand pounds depending on the level of cover required.
‘It was just meant to be me in nature, with my dog and having fun, without spending too much – but now I’ve been landed with bills for thousands of pounds.
‘When I shared my story on a Reddit group for Dalmatian owners,I hadn’t thought about launching a fundraiser, but people said they wanted to help us get back home.
‘I just can’t believe how kind people have been. The kindness of strangers has been amazing.’
To donate to Kane’s GoFundMe for Lucy visit here
