Plug pulled on fundraiser for Richmond twin sisters attacked by Rottweiler mix

CANADA -- A fundraiser for two sisters mauled by a dog at a Richmond park last week has been taken down.

Alegria Gomez, who launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $2,000 for twins Kati and Jessi Mather, said their father Steven Mather asked her to take the site down after allegations surfaced suggesting the twins may have provoked the attack.

“There was a bunch of allegations made about them that humiliated the entire family,” said Gomez, a longtime friend. “He didn’t want any of the attention on them anymore so he asked me to remove the page.”

The 21-year-old Mather sisters were injured Dec. 30 after Yogi, a Rottweiler-Husky cross owned by Kati and her boyfriend, turned on them.

Jessi suffered multiple lacerations shielding her three-year-old son Jayden from the dog. Kati, who tried to lure the dog away from the child, bore the brunt of the injuries, including more than 100 bites, a broken arm and a detached bicep.

The sisters’ actions were hailed as “heroic” by Mounties, but their reputations were tarnished after a news report suggested the dog may have been exposed to drug use and abuse.

The twins have an Instagram page called Twins That Toke THC and a similar Facebook page with photos showing them partying or appearing to smoke marijuana.

Gomez said the allegations Yogi was abused, mistreated, or was on drugs were false, adding Kati and Jessi should not be judged for instigating the attack because of their lifestyle.

“That’s their personal choice,” said Gomez. “They’re drinking or partying but for them to be slandered for what they’re doing is completely uncalled for.”

Even if the sisters smoked marijuana in front of their dog, “that’s not going to make it do what it did,” she added.

The sisters are recovering at home, Gomez said. They are physically OK but “mentally, they are not doing well at all.”

The dog is in the custody of the Richmond Animal Protection Society. It is up to the City of Richmond to decide whether the animal will be put down or not.

Gomez said the Mather sisters would prefer to see the dog rehabilitated rather than euthanized: “They are 100 per cent for keeping Yogi alive, although they don’t necessarily want to live in the same house with it.”

The crowdfunding campaign raised $645 before it was taken down. Gomez said the money will go toward a trust managed by the twins’ father towards care for the sisters and Jayden.

(The Province - Jan 4, 2016)

Earlier:

• Richmond dog attack leaves young woman in critical condition