A HADDINGTON family have thanked the local community after kind-hearted donors helped pay a four-figure vet bill.

Jade Robertson and partner Lewis McDonald saw their seven-year-old black Labrador Peppa killed after it was struck by a car in a hit-and-run incident outside their home, on the town’s Queens Avenue.

The couple’s 18-month-old spaniel Vee was also seriously injured in the incident last month, and spent four days in Links Vets after damaging a lung.

Jade and Lewis were faced with a bill of more than £1,200 but, while the couple dealt with their dog’s treatment, friend Lisa Barr set up a Facebook page to encourage people to donate towards the bill.

Family, friends and other residents on social media helped raise more than £1,000 towards the bill, much to the delight of the couple.

Jade, 29, told the Courier: “We were totally overwhelmed by it all. People were coming up to me in the street – people I didn’t even know – and telling me they were hoping Vee was alright.

“At that stage, the vets had told us it was a 50/50 chance of her pulling through.

“Although we both work, we were looking at a bill of about £1,200 and thinking: ‘How are we going to pay this?’ “We had been making payments and unbeknown to us Lisa had set up the page.

“One of Lewis’ friends went in the other day to pay off the balance of the bill.

“It was so overwhelming and we really don’t know how to thank people.”

She also thanked all of the team at Links Vets, and added: “Vee owes her life to them.

“Nothing came up on the x-ray and it was only because David and Stephi, who were looking after her, spotted her breathing had got worse, they found she’d popped a lung.”

With Vee on track to make a full recovery, Jade, a self-employed hairdresser, and Lewis, who works at Pure Malt in the town, said it had been a traumatic fortnight.

Jade said: “We’ve been back at the vets a couple of times.

“Once her breathing wasn’t right but they said she was just overexcited.

“Vee and Peppa are kennel dogs, so Vee is missing Peppa – we all are. There have been plenty of cuddles on the sofa.”

A police spokesperson said: “Police were made aware of a collision where a Labrador and spaniel were struck by a car on February 14. Enquiries into this have now concluded and no further police action is required.”