My beautiful boy Albert is a strong, gentle soul — and a survivor.

In October, Albert was hit by a car and left without help. The incident was not reported, and Albert remained trapped in a storm drain near the accident site for three and a half days, unable to move and in extreme pain.

During that time, he suffered multiple pelvic fractures, a severely broken leg with the bone exposed, and a torn abdominal muscle ripped from the bone.

This happened on a quiet, no-through residential street in front of our home.

After days of relentless searching — knocking on doors on every street in the surrounding neighbourhood — I was eventually able to locate where the accident had occurred - right in front of my house. With the help of another neighbour, we found Albert in a nearby drain — badly injured and covered in leaves that had piled over him during the days he lay there. He was unable to move from the pain, and his open wound was already developing a serious infection.

Vets later told me that if I had found him any later, he would not have survived.

Albert required multiple emergency surgeries, intensive care, and months of rehabilitation. In the early stages, he could barely move. I had to stop working for over six weeks to care for him full-time — helping him eat, toilet, and simply stay alive.

As a result, I lost income while still facing heavy ongoing veterinary bills, and I borrowed money to save his life. So far, Albert’s care has cost over $22,000, and I am currently in $6,000 of personal debt.

No financial assistance was provided toward Albert’s treatment, leaving me to carry the burden alone. Reporting the accident or seeking help sooner could have prevented immense suffering — and may have saved his leg.

Despite everything, Albert & I fought to stay together no matter what.

Due to the severity of the injuries and infection caused by the delay in treatment, his leg ultimately had to be amputated. The $1,800 previously raised went toward his frame-removal surgery.

Today, Albert is fully mobile — walking (hopping), jumping, and using the litter tray on his own. He sleeps beside me every night, just as he has for the past seven years.

This experience has shown me how urgently Australian laws need to change. Under current law, people can hit a small animal and walk away without reporting it. I don’t believe this should be acceptable. Alongside caring for Albert and protecting my other three beautiful fur babies that I’m honoured to care for - 1 of them being a rescue dog, I am now committed to seeking change in Australian animal welfare laws so that animals like Albert — and people who love them — are better protected in the future.

Albert is my family — a deeply bonded soulmate who walks with me on this journey of life. He has slept next to me, hugging me, every night for seven years. I will do everything in my power to give him a safe, pain-free future.

Any contribution — no matter how small — will go directly toward Albert’s ongoing veterinary care, and repaying the debt incurred to save his life. Any funds beyond this will support ongoing animal welfare efforts and advocacy, so no animal is ever left to suffer like this again.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping my brave boy heal — and for standing up for compassion and change.