Rescuing Ripley, the one eyed Puerto Rican street dog

Hi, I'm Kat. I'm a student conducting fieldwork in Puerto Rico but based in London, UK. I am setting up this fundraiser to help bring Ripley, the Puerto Rican street dog, back to the UK, so she can finally live a happy, healthy and carefree life in a safe home.

I first set eyes on Ripley earlier this year as she always greets me as I meet my colleagues at the dock to take our boat to our field site. I would always be excited to finish fieldwork as she would wait for us to return and she would walk us back to our house. The friendliest, most loving and kindest dog one could be lucky enough to meet. We are all smitten with her.

Unfortunately, one day she returns with a severe life-threatening injuring. Joyfully running up to us, as she always does, we notice her eyes are swollen and one of them is hanging out of her eye socket ... bleeding. This injury, we guessed, was caused by a severe impact that could only be described as horrific. Whether she was beaten or hit by a car her injury was life threating and we had no other choice but to fundraise money between us to pay for an emergency veterinary operation. Ripley has survived the operation and is now getting used to her new life as the prettiest cyclops you could ever meet.

However, I feel as though I have no choice but to make the decision to adopt her and take her home with me to the UK. Her new found limited vision has meant she bumps into walls and people. It is common to find streetdogs run over or beaten with severe injuries. Her affection to people leaves her vulnerable to abuse and her new clumsiness leaves her vulnerable to cars. We could also give her to a local shelter, but the number of street dogs admitted are so high in Puerto Rico that the euthanasia rate is at 97%. I can't bare to leave her to this demise. Ripley deserves better.

I am hoping that through the power of some kind hearted people on Go Fund Me we may be able to raise enough money to help with the flight and veterinary costs to bring her back to the UK. I am putting money in from my own pocket (as are my colleagues) but, unfortunately, we are all only students on student budgets and we simply cannot afford to pay for everything she needs.

I really can't bare to put Ripley back on the streets. Please help us if you can! And if you can't, just sharing our Go Find Me page will be great help.

Ripley is sending lots of tongue-filled-kisses for giving her a chance at a better life!