An Edinburgh woman whose dog was left with a fractured skull when it was hit by a motorbike is facing thousands in vet bills.
Cristina Fernandez was walking her dog Lola in Craigmillar Castle Park, along with her eight-year-old daughter, when a mindless motorcylist driving through the park hit the seven-year-old pup. The driver then took off, leaving the dog lying on the path.
After taking Lola to the vets, Cristina discovered the X ray alone would cost £1,500. If she required surgery, it could cost upwards of £3000.
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Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Cristina told us: “Me and my daughter went up to the woods with the dog for a walk at around 4pm on Saturday, and in the park we saw this girl.
“A lot of people in the community see her driving her motorbike through there, and she shouldn’t be. She passed us and i took Lola next to me and on the lead.
“Then we were in the play park, and Lola was off the lead. Suddenly, the motorbike came flying past and because Lola loves to chase off she went.
“The motorbike crashed into her and I thought she was dead. She was lying upside down with her paw stretched out.
“I started screaming, and the driver just took off. She didn’t have a number plate or anything, I would guess she probably doesn’t even have a licence.”
Others in the park assisted Cristina, with one woman offering to drive to the vets and others offering support. At the vets, she was told the dog was bleeding through the nose and they then suggested the X ray - which the family couldn’t stretch to.
They were then told to see how she recovered through the week, which Cristina was happy to tell us was going well so far. Lola is back walking, eating, going to the toilet and responding to calls.
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Despite this, the family are still keen to find the motorcyclist and ensure similar situations don’t happen again. Cristina says she’s not the only one in the area who has taken issue with the driver.
She told us: “She’s quite young, long blonde hair, I would guess between 16 or 18-years-old.
"She rides a white and black motorcycle, and has a white helmet. She took off towards Peffermill Road.
“We see the motorbike often, and everyone is sick of it. It shouldn’t take something like this to get her off that thing.
“We need to stop the motorbike coming into the woods, and everyone says the same thing, some people have already sent letters to the local MP. If she’s got a heart, or someone around her does, it’ll stop.”
The family are still hoping to stop the motorcylist from coming through the area, and are looking for any information - with the incident taking place in Craigmillar Castle Park at around 4pm on Saturday, May 6.
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