Plea to raise £15k for Walsall charity dog’s vital surgery
A £15,000 fundraising campaign has been launched by a charity to try and prevent a dog that works with rape victims from being put down.
Crisis Point, which is based in Walsall, launched the crowdfunding drive on Just Giving to raise the cash needed to pay for knee surgery for Red, a German Shepherd who works as a therapy dog for the charity.
The three year old supports children who have experienced sexual abuse and have internalised their trauma by getting them to open up and help move forward with their lives.
But the former police dog suffers from Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), a joint disorder that causes pain, swelling and forces the affected joint to lock up during movement.
Last year his OCD flared up and a scoping operation in February this year revealed he needed to have total knee replacements by September.
If he does not get the operation then his condition will deteriorate and he will need to be put down.
A spokesman for Crisis Point, which helps support victims and survivors of sexual abuse, said: “The bond between people and dogs is very special, and the memories shared with Red will always hold a place in our hearts.
“He’s there through highs and lows and never fails to put a smile on children’s faces.
“Red is a prime example of not judging a book by its cover.
“His large build fools no-one as his gentle interior shines through and touches all who meet him.
“His commitment to duty is faultless, he always carries a smile, regardless of the pain he suffers.”
Crisis Point’s fund for Red has reached more than £4,600 of the £15,000 needed.
More than 250 people have donated to the cause so far online.
The charity was founded in 2000 and has supported victims of sex crime ever since.
Although based in Walsall, it has outreach services working right across the West Midlands.
In 2003, Crisis Point pioneered a fast track STI screening system, which eventually went on to be commended and then later established as ‘best practice’.
A year later they founded the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Walsall, in partnership with West Midlands Police and the NHS, and went to manage the agency for a further two years.
While in 2005 Crisis Point launched a clinical counselling centre in the borough to provide personalised psychotherapeutic counselling for victims of sexual crime.
The charity, through its mission statement, declares: “We believe in the individual.
“We recognise that the unique qualities and experiences of individual victims and survivors, demand an equally unique and individual response in specialised care provided by specialist trained workers in the field of sexual crime.
“Crisis Point is committed to delivering best practice for victims of sexual crime and the trauma that occurs from rape or sexual abuse.”
Their two main objectives are to relieve sickness and distress among victims and to advance public education around sexual assault and its impact on people and their families.
