Couple saves Moroccan puppy hit by car they met on vacation

By James Connolly

A British couple drove more than 5,000 miles and spent $4,000 to bring a "wonky puppy" back to the UK after falling in love with her on vacation.

Sam and Phil Simpson were on a trip to Morocco when they met Naya - a five-month-old street dog who had been hit by a car.

The tragic accident left the pup with painful injuries, including a shattered front leg, which means she can only walk using her back legs.

As a result, she moves around by hopping on her back legs - while her front legs remain bent and twisted.

She was still hobbling painfully when she first met Sam, 57, and her husband Phil, 52 - as she tried her best to greet them despite the injuries.

The couple spent thousands to get her to their home in Heswall, Merseyside - and now they're facing another $5,000 bill for surgery to help her walk again.

Sam said: "Naya was desperately trying to come over to us when we met her at the rescue centre in Morocco.

"She kept falling on her face, but you could just see how determined she was.

"Over time, she's built up the muscles in her back legs so she can hop around. We just knew we couldn't leave her."

Sam runs a kennel facility in Wirral and has spent years rescuing and caring for animals.

The couple knew immediately that they wanted Naya to come home with them and hatched a plan to get her there - but it was no easy feat.

It took three months for the pup to get all the necessary vaccinations and paperwork before she could travel.

Then, in September, Sam and Phil, with the help of friend Tom Craven, set off on an epic 5,000-mile round-trip drive from Heswall to Morocco.

The adoption itself cost them just $200 - but the journey, with fuel and accommodation, came in at just short of $4,000.

Now at home in the UK, Naya is settling into her new life surrounded by the couple's other rescue dogs - four pugs, two sight hounds and a Labrador.

Sam said: "She's such a gentle soul and she absolutely loves meeting people. As soon as she sees someone new, her tail starts wagging."

After a recent visit to the vet, Sam and Phil learned that a surgery Naya underwent in Morocco hadn't gone as well as hoped.

She said: "Her right leg was pinned back, but the pin has failed to work and the fracture is still there.

"At the top of the leg there's a twisted bone, which isn't sitting in the elbow socket properly.

"The vet also thinks her paw is contorted, so that's going to need a lot of physio."

The couple are hoping specialist treatment can give Naya the chance to walk and play again - but the costs are eye-watering.

Sam said: "The CT scan was nearly $2,000 alone. We've been given a rough estimate for the bone being put back in place - it will cost between $4,000 and $5,000."

Despite the bills, the couple say they won't give up on their miracle pup - and have launched an online fundraiser to help cover the costs of scans, surgery and rehabilitation. It can be found here.

Sam said: "To bring Naya home was quite emotional. She's so loved, she really is.

"It would be amazing to see her walk. Even if we can only save one leg, it would make all the difference for her."