The daughter of a Scots gran who died in Turkey is desperate to bring her mum's dog home after she was unable to fly her body back to Scotland.
Linda Rodger was living in the Middle East and volunteering with animal charity Street Dogs after working as a dog warden in Dundee for 20 years. The 63-year-old had been due to fly home on December 16 to spend Christmas with her daughter Michelle McCord and two-year-old grandson Hudson.
Just weeks before the trip, Linda suffered a heart attack in her sleep and died on November 16.
Heartbroken daughter Michelle was unable to pay for her mum's body to be repatriated, with costs coming in at around £20,000. Instead the 32-year-old flew to Turkey but was left horrified when she was told she would have to bury her mother herself.
Michelle said: "In Turkey it is tradition to bury people on the day they die or one day later but the authorities held her body for a few days so me and my dad could fly over.
"When we arrived she was wrapped in cloth but she had no coffin. We were given shovels and told to fill her grave ourselves.
"My dad was there burying my mum 30 years after they separated. Local people and expats my mum had become friends with helped us.
"I'm still processing it all."
One of Linda's final wishes was that Michelle would take care of her beloved rescue dog Gem in the event of an emergency.
Michelle continued: "Gem is the last piece I have of my mum, I really need to get her home.
"My mum always joked that if anything ever happened, she wanted me to have Gem. I never thought this would have happened."
Michelle was Linda's only child and described her mum as her best friend.
She added: "I feel very lost without her. We were best friends, even though she lived in Turkey and I'm in Scotland, we spoke every day on the phone.
"Growing up, it was just me and her.
"She was such a caring soul. She was only 4ft 8in but she was a huge personality. She took no prisoners.
"Everyone in the area thought very highly of her."
A fundraiser has been launched by a family friend to bring Gem - who is currently being cared for by a friend in Turkey - home to Dundee.
Rebecca Nicolson, 30, who organised the fundraiser, said: "Although sadly I never got to meet Linda, we were due to pick her up from the airport on December 16 for Christmas. I've spoken to her many times on the phone and on FaceTime and I just want to do everything I can to help Michelle, it's something that you would never expect to happen.
"It's bad enough when your parents pass away, but never mind in a foreign country."
To donate to the online fundraiser, click here.
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