Vet bill appeal after dog’s neck was ripped apart in Akita attack in Hawick

Staffordshire bull terrier suffered horrific wounds v.1
Buster suffered horrific wounds in the attack.Buster suffered horrific wounds in the attack.
Buster suffered horrific wounds in the attack.

A fundraising appeal has been launched after a Staffordshire bull terrier had its neck ripped open by an out-of-control Akita in a Hawick street.

Karen Waddington was out walking 11-year-old Buster in Ramsay Road on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 7, when he was set upon.

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Buster was thrown around “like a rag doll” and his neck was ripped open in the savage attack by the large white Akita dog.

Badly wounded Buster was only set free when the Akita’s male owner arrived on the scene.

Karen was traumatised by the incident and has reported it to Police Scotland and SSPCA, although no investigation has been launched.

Buster needed several stitches across his neck and chest and had a drain put in his shoulder to let fluid out.

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At the time of the attack Buster’s owner, Michael Paxton, Karen’s partner, was at work.

The couple – who have not received an apology from the Akita’s owners – have since had to fork out more than £1,000 in vet bills.

Now Michael has launched a GoFundMe appeal to help cover some of the costs.

He said: “There has been no investigation. My partner contacted the police but they were not interested and the SSPCA won’t do anything because the dogs aren’t getting neglected.

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“There hasn’t been an apology for the attack. The dog’s owners came round to my partner’s address when she was out. Her daughter was there and they wanted to know how Buster was, but he was at the vet’s at the time. When it sunk in that they weren’t going to be able to see him, the woman walked off making the comment ‘that’s just dogs being dogs’. They didn’t leave a contact number or pass on an apology.

“Buster seems to be doing okay but the vet has just had to cut more skin back because he was starting to get an infection.”

An Akita is a muscular double-coated dog originating from the mountains of northern Japan.

The GoFundMe appeal can be reached by clicking here.

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