UPDATE: The GoFundMe account to help raise money to save the life of Stewie 'Bug' has exceeded its $2,500 fundraising goal needed to pay emergency vet bills.
The online campaign has raised $2,900 as of Thursday morning.
A local couple says they are in desperate need of help after their dog was viciously attacked by another dog.
William Gilbert and his wife, Robin Hensley, say a neighbor’s dog broke past their fence and into their Southside home this week.
“I tried to stop the dog and I couldn't and it got my dog under the kitchen table,” said Hensley. “And he was just shaking my dog really hard.”
Robin was eventually able to get her dog, Stewie 'Bug', away from the attacking dog.
She beat the Pit Bull with this iron pipe.
County officials took the attacking dog away. Stewie is now in grave condition. The family is now stuck with a $2,000 emergency vet bill and, if they can’t pay it, they say they will have to euthanize their dog.
“We can't find a vet that would even help us without everything up front, they won’t even take five hundred dollars down and take payments,” she said. “It's not our fault that this happened; it's not our dog's fault that this happened. He’s suffering and we're suffering.”
You can donate through the couple's GoFundMe.
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FACEBOOK POST
Robin Diane Gilbert posted on Facebook November 18, 2017 · Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, AZ ·
My neighbor adopted the pit bull just a few days before the pit bull charged in my house as I was leaving, he had jumped my fence to even get in my yard, he viciously attacked my dog bug under my kitchen table, I hit the pit bull with a metal pipe several times before he dropped bugs lifeless body! Now bug bug is fighting so hard to survive. Please pray for bug, he's my heart!
Amy Michelle Roberts - Praying so hard..
Robin Diane Gilbert - Thanks please keep praying, my other two dogs are traumatized, I'm a mess trying to deal with this and watching bug suffer and other two are just traumatized, they won't go out that door to potty now, bugs 6 month old hiding under tables now, they are having severe separation anxiety, our little fur family is struggling with what happened. This is so hard
Gabriel Makota - prayers
Deborah Langham Bourgoine - PRAYING FOR HIM. OH I KNOW THERE'S MEAN DOGS SOMETIMES. ONCE I LITERALLY HAD TO PULL THE JAWS OF A PIT BULL OF MY LITTLE DOG,MY PUPPY HAD TWO COLLARS ON. I STILL TO THIS DAY DON'T KNOW HOW I DID IT . GOD MUST OF BEEN THERE. I'VE HAD YOUR LITTLE GUY ON MY MIND ALL DAY.
Robin Diane Gilbert - I tried pulling his jaws, he just bite down harder, that's when I grabbed the metal pipe and started hitting the dog, I just kept screaming and hitting until the pit bull ran out the door that was still open, I was so scared, I collapsed beside Bug and start telling my friend to call 911.
When the sheriff walked in he looked at us on the floor and said, is he dead? I was scared to pack him outside afraid that pit bull would try to attack again,
Deborah Langham Bourgoine - GIRL,.... MY DOG WAS LITTLE TOO. I THINK I DID IT SO FAST THAT IT CAUGHT THAT DOG AND I DON'T KNOW . THE DOG WAS HALF PITT BULL, AND HALF ROTTWEILER. MY DOG WAS A SMALL TERRIER /CHIHUAHUA MIX..MY DOG WAS OLDER THAN YOUR POOR LITTLE PUPPY. MY DOG WAS EXPERIENCED OF BEING ATTACKED BY BIGGER DOGS . IT WAS JUST A SPLIT SECOND. JUST A LITTLE BIT OF SPACE, .. THAT ALLOWED MY DOGS RELEASE FROM THE JAWS OF THAT MEAN DOG .ISAID,... CHUEY RUN,.. MY DOG RAN PUSHED THAT SECURITY DOOR OPEN,.. AND WAS FREE OUTSIDE. I WAS STILL SHAKING LIKE A LEAF. I YELLED NOT LOOKING AT THAT DOG AND OPEN THE GLASS SLIDING DOOR, .. AND SAID COME ON, .. TO THAT MEAN DOG, ... HE FOLLOWED ME OUT TO THE BACK YARD, .. I TURNED QUICKLY AND SLAMMED THAT DOOR CLOSED. I WAS SAFE, .. I THINK PRAYING WHILE MY STENGTH AND ADRENALINE WAS SO HIGH, .. AND FEAR WAS AT ITS PEAK, .. LET MY DOG SURVIVE. MY DOG HAD A BIG GASH IN HIS NECK AFTERWARDS AND HAD TO BE STITCHED UP BY THE VET . AND IT WAS PRVACATED BECAUSE MY DOG CHUEY WAS BY A DOG AT MY AUNTS HOUSE A GIRL DOG,.. WAS IN HEAT. I DON'T HAVE CHUEY ANYMORE CAUSE HE PASSED AWAY IN 2005. I HOPE YOUR LITTLE BABY IS DOING OKAY. ARE YOU DOING OKAY? DID YOU SAY YOUR PUPPY DOG WAS SIX MONTHS? I'M STILL PRAYING AND BELIEVING.
TAKE CARE Robin Diane GILBERT . GOD BLESS YOU.
Mike Fisher - I'm so sorry that happened I understand you're in pain but PLEASE DON'T blame the breed Blame the OWNER I've seen pit bulls nursing kittens It's NOT the breed It's how it's raised It's idiotic owners too lazy or don't know how to train their dog
No, Robin. You should blame the breed. It's akin to having a tiger living next door to you. When that tiger gets loose and attacks your dog, wouldn't it be reasonable to say that your neighbor never should have had a tiger to begin with? It was a ticking time bomb waiting for the opportunity to attack. This is what they have been bred for for hundreds of years. The dog cannot help itself, but that is why BSL is so important. Mandatory sterilization, mandatory liability insurance, mandatory muzzling, mandatory approved cage/fence inspection by animal control. Treat them the same as owners of tigers, lions and bears.
Stew Bug is home for the weekend, goes back to vet Monday to remove drainage tubes. We want to thank each and everyone for everything you did to help, from prayers to donations, words can not express my total gratitude from my heart!
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GoFundMe: Save Bug dogCreated November 15, 2017
William Gary Gilbert
Animals
TUCSON, AZ
$3,165 of $2,500 goal
Raised by 56 people in 2 days
Update 1
Posted by William Gary Gilbert
The dog is still in serious condition he had his surgery is having a lot of trouble breathing the vet send him home at night with us to monitor and he'll be hospitalized every day during the daytime for medication and evaluation Robin and we don't know how to thank everyone properly we are very private people and hated to ask for help and you all stepped up and helped I just can't thank you enough we will continue to update this daily
Update 2
Posted by William Gary Gilbert
thanks to all of you people we have reached our goal and more here's an update on the dog. He's going to spend one more night at the vet's office tonight. They say he is improving he was trying to bite them LOL they were trying to put an IV in his leg and he hates people messing with his feet so he was trying to bite them that says a lot right there to me cuz I know he hates that. If they like what they see in the morning he will be sent home for good. He still going to need rehab and follow-up visit
I don't know how often but things are definitely looking up and this is all thanks to you for helping us get the cash up front. Robin and I are overjoyed with the outpouring we have received support and best wishes we are both absolutely amazed at the response from our new community. I will update this page in the morning but once again thanks to all of you it looks like we're going to get a positive outcome
Update 3
Posted by William Gary Gilbert
Things are looking up for the dog
Update 4
Posted by William Gary Gilbert
When bug got hurt and we found out we were going to need some money I must have made 150 phone calls trying to get some money called credit card people asking for credit line increase got $500 and sent that right in.
when I found out that the dog that attacked our dog was adopted out 2 days prior by the City of Tucson I called them up and ask them for help. They tried to bully me into putting my dog down and refused to help.
Also the 24-hour vet that had him the first night also tried to bully us into putting him down. Robin and I said no way we're not giving up on this dog and we got him the hell out of there as soon as we could.
I know he's emotional, but blaming the vet clinic is wrong. Imagine how many people come in with their pets and don't have a way to pay their bills. The vet kindly treats their pet and then never gets paid. The vet can send the unpaid bill to collections, but they'll never collect - even if they win a judgment. The vet gets too many of these and s/he can't pay their own bills. Employees get laid off and the vet business goes under and closes, putting 20+ people out of work. It may seem heartless for the vet to insist on the payment upfront, but you have to take the emotion out of it.Thanks to the people at Santa Cruz Veterinary we were able to get him in and treated before they were paid. Don't know how much the final bill is going to be don't care this dog is worth it. He's such a big part of our family Robin and I haven't slept for 3 days it's been really tough working falling asleep driving but I've managed to keep moving. Can't get the little guy out of my mind Robin is the same way. I want to thank everyone again for the support hopefully he comes home in the morning.
Also, the vet has an obligation to ensure that the animal is treated or euthanized. You cannot simply take a seriously, critically-injured animal home and "hope for the best". By law, you as an owner must provide needed medical care to your animal - or surrender it to someone who can provide it - or euthanize it. The vet wasn't being hateful; s/he was trying to make sure this little dog wasn't taken home and left to suffer for days before finally dying because the owners couldn't pay the bills and refused to euthanize the dog.
Update 5
Posted by William Gary Gilbert
The dog stayed at the vet all night last night by himself the vet was comfortable with this and they have just arrived waiting for Robin to call me and update his status fingers crossed tick tick tick hurry up and call me!
Update 6
Posted by William Gary Gilbert
Great news the dog is going home for good your donations made it possible to cover all three vet bills and there's some left over we will use that to pay for follow-up care. Robin and I are so truly grateful we've never had to ask for money before and we are so deeply touched I just can't find the words to thank you properly. He still needs care has to go back Monday and have drain tubes removed but all in all they are comfortable sending him home to finish healing. Once again from the bottom of my heart I want to thank you and we will update you as he heals up.
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VIDEO NEWS CLIP FROM KVOA:
(KVOA - November 16, 2017)
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