'Wonder dog' Fionn leads thousands on charity walk
Remember Fionn?
The 'miracle dog' found left to die in a woods in Cork before Christmas - see our story last week on his remarkable recovery - Fionn was nursed back to health through the dedication of the volunteers at Cork Dog Action Welfare Group (DAWG) and his foster mother Angela.
Well here's the man himself, filmed in Cork yesterday as he proudly leads out a charity 'walkies' in which over 1,500 people are estimated to have taken part, raising no less than for DAWG.
Good boy, Fionn.
“I've never seen anything like this,” Cork Dog Action Welfare Group (DAWG) spokesperson Margaret Twohig told breakingews.ie.
"The sad reality is that Fionn's case is not isolated, throughout the length and breadth of this country there are many Fionns, hidden, suffering and dying in the most appalling circumstances," she added.
"I believe the only way change will come is if strong and effective legalisaton was implemented."
As we told you last week, Fionn was found dumped with rubbish by a horrified passer-by, his skull shattered by a blow from an unidentified object, before being brought under the care of DAWG.
He had to undergo intensive surgeries over Christmas, with the below photo showing the remarkable progress he has made.
Fionn was at the walk yesterday and posed happily for photographs, with some people reportedly in tears meeting him.
"When you enter the world of animal rescue, nothing ever prepares you for the emotional roller coaster that lies ahead," Margaret said.
"Every day you witness the very best and the very worst of human nature, sadly the latter far more than the former.
"We are so happy that Fionn has made such a great recovery and that we have forever changed this boy's world.
"There are so many worlds out there that we would like to change, knowing we will never reach them all is probably the most difficult thing to accept."
Mr Twohig said they were inundated with messages of support in recent days, with people in Australia, Los Angeles, New York, New Zealand, Canada, Spain and Germany, staging smaller solidarity walks for him yesterday.
Walk organiser Oonagh O’Brien told the Irish Examiner last night that the event raised €18,500, with every single cent going to DAWG.
