A Macmerry dog walker and her mum have come to the aid of a grieving family by taking on a client’s two dogs after she tragically passed away.

Donna Robertson, 55, who runs Struts Furr Mutts dog-walking business from her home in Macmerry, had been walking 72-year-old Catherine Richards’ dogs, Heineken and Caffrey, twice a day for six months.

But when Donna visited Catherine’s home on Tranent’s Edinburgh Road last month, she found her client's lodger, Michael, attending to Catherine, who was passed out in her bedroom.

After calling an ambulance, Michael and Donna were given guidance, via the telephone, on how to give Catherine CPR until an ambulance arrived.

Sadly, Catherine was pronounced dead within a couple of hours of being taken to hospital.

Donna told the Courier: “It wasn’t a nice scene to walk into – I have known and spoken to Catherine almost every day since she became a client.

“I walked her dogs twice a day almost seven days a week, so I had grown close to Catherine but had also grown attached to the dogs.”

Catherine was involved in an accident outside Musselburgh Racecourse in 2019, when she was knocked over by a black Labrador while walking her own dogs.

She was seriously injured and struggled to walk for long periods of time afterwards, meaning she had to rely on dog walkers to take her dogs out.

Donna said: “Of course, my immediate concern was for Catherine but also what was to happen with the dogs now she had passed away.”

It had been hoped members of Catherine’s family would take the dogs in but other commitments made that impossible.

Heineken, a 13-year-old English sheepdog, and Caffrey, a seven-year-old bearded collie, had grown attached to Donna over the six months – so Donna and her parents, Maureen and Jim, who live in Wallyford, offered to adopt the pooches.

She said: “It was looking like Heineken may have to be put to sleep because of his age. It was going to be difficult to rehome him.

“I couldn’t stand the thought of that so, after speaking with my mum, she agreed to take him in and I took in Caffrey. I hated the thought of them being separated and now they can see each other regularly, which is fantastic.”

Donna was sent a card signed by Catherine’s family to thank her for her kindness.

The card read: “Thank you for all your help with Catherine and the dogs, you have been a godsend through this tough time. Hope all will go well with the dogs.”

Donna said: “It made me feel so happy when I received the card. I am glad I could help and I am glad the dogs can stay together now. I only did what was right and I just want everyone to know that you will still see Heineken and Caffrey walking around Polson Park.”