Local nurse crowdfunding to adopt dog she rescued in Mexico

Hannah Wolverson, 39, who works as a substance misuse nurse at Exeter Prison, is aiming to raise £4,900 to bring the mixed-breed dog, which she named Faye, to Somerset.

In 2020, Hannah volunteered in a small village in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, for five weeks with disaster relief charity All Hands and Hearts to help it rebuild after suffering an earthquake.

When she first spotted Faye in the village, she was covered in cuts and had a metal chain wrapped around her neck.

Since Hannah left, Faye has lived with a Mexican veterinary student called Gabriella under a temporary arrangement after she sought help from a charity that helps homeless dogs.

BOND: Faye was reluctant to approach people until Hannah gained her trust

Hannah told the County Gazette: “There’s a lot of street dogs in Mexico, but most of them survive quite well. This little dog was really young.

"A few volunteers had seen her in the lead-up to me going out there. She wouldn’t go near people, and she had a chain around her neck and a big tear in her ear.

"She wasn’t surviving, and she must have escaped from somewhere."

Although Faye had previously been reluctant to interact with the volunteers, Hannah managed to gain her trust after offering her food.

"I was working near where the school was being built, and she trotted past me,” she said.

"I had a biscuit in my pocket, and I threw it towards her. She ran off, but then she slowly came over and, when she realised it was food, she just came up to me."

COMFY: The volunteers made Faye a dog bed at the primary school they were rebuilding

After that, Faye became more comfortable around Hannah and the other volunteers, who began to see her as their mascot.

However, Hannah said some locals were considering calling the authorities to have her "taken away" – so she decided to act.

"I phoned a Canadian lady who runs a charity, TEO Tails, to help street dogs in Mexico,” explained Hannah.

"I reached out to her, and she was really great and said, 'I’ll take her in'.

"Faye is currently living with a Mexican veterinary student called Gabriella, but it’s not permanent.

"I just want to save her. I’m going to make it happen, even if I have to work more."

CHARITY: Faye relaxes as All Hands and Hearts volunteers get to work

Faye will stay with Gabriella until March but will be released back onto the streets unless a solution is found for her future.

Hannah is making arrangements with an American travel company called PetRelocation to have Faye brought to the UK, which is expected to cost between $6,000 and $7,000.

She has already paid them £1,500 and, on her only day off in Mexico, she took Faye to have her wounds treated and got her sprayed, wormed, and vaccinated with her own money.

On her Crowdfunder page, Hannah wrote: "I know I cannot save every street dog in Mexico, but I can change Faye's life forever.

"After everything she has been through, I need to help her."

For more information and to donate to Hannah’s Crowdfunder page, visit https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-me-save-fayes-life.

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