Newlyweds raising over $2K to bring stray dog they met on honeymoon

By Ashley Pemberton via SWNS

A pair of newlyweds who fell in love with a stray dog on their honeymoon on a paradise island are fundraising to bring the pooch back to the UK.

Raechel Eastwood, 30, and husband Adam, 33, were so smitten with the animal when it approached them on a beach in Mauritius they said they should take her home.

But after online inquiries revealed it could be done for around £2,000, they launched a fundraiser to cover their expenses.

And now they’re hoping to re-home Sandy at their house in Golborne, near Wigan, Gtr Manchester, where they live with their German Shepherd Suki.

Raechel said: “We live in a detached house with a big back garden and a field nearby, there’s lots of space for her to run and play.

“She’ll have a much better life here than she’d have on the streets over there, so we’re just hoping we can raise the money we need.”

Raechel and Adam tied the knot on September 30 before jetting off the island in the Indian Ocean for their fortnight honeymoon.

They fell in love with Sandy during their first week when she approached them at a quiet spot and formed a bond in just a few hours.

Raechel, a deputy store manager, said: “We were told there was a nice beach to go and watch the sunrise. As soon as we got out of the car, about 10-15 dogs surrounded us.

“We set our towels down and this one dog came and almost shooed the others away as if she had claimed us as her own. We nicknamed her Sandy.

“When we sat down, she came over and wanted cuddles. She sat with us for a bit, had a play and even took a nap with us.

“She followed us for around three hours when we went for a walk and we thought she just wanted food, but we didn’t have any.

“When we went back to the car, we thought she’d disappeared, but when we got to the path, she’d brought two of her puppies to us.

“I thought ‘oh my god’, she trusted us with her puppies.

“We sat and parked up and thought ‘this is awful’. She was just a lovely dog and we felt such a bond with her, we wanted to bring her back with us.”

The couple enlisted the help of charity Strays of Belle Mare, which helps to rehome dogs from the island.

The charity has found out from a staff member from a nearby hotel that she was dumped while she was pregnant.

They have returned to see Sandy during their honeymoon but think it will cost between £2,000 and £3,000 just for her vet bills, flights, and vaccinations.

They fly home this week but will be able to rehome Sandy if they raise the money after a period of quarantine.

The couple have also donated to another charity to look after Sandy's puppies and provide food for them.

But if they're able to raise more than they need, the excess funds will be donated to the charities which have helped them to look after them or get them to the UK too.

Raechel added: “We went back to see them to make sure she was ok and still there. We went and fed her and discovered she had four puppies.

“A worker at a hotel nearby said she’d had five but one has been rehomed.

“We think she was dumped while she was pregnant, presumably her owner couldn’t afford to keep her and her puppies.

"Realistically we need £2,000 to bring Sandy home.

"Anything more can help the charities here for the strays but it would be £9000 to bring mum and 4 puppies home."