A Scots family has been left “heartbroken” after a tragic incident led to them losing two dogs in the space of just a few months.
Bonnie, a three-year-old Bernese mountain dog, was hit by a car on December 27, after an Amazon delivery driver is said to have left a gate open, allowing her to escape.
The beloved pet belonging to the family-of-five from Tranent, East Lothian, helped to support their children with autism.
The incident came just two months after their golden retriever, Maggie, passed away from cancer, with both tragedies taking their toll on the children.
Dave Murphy said they have been “struggling” with the losses, reports Edinburgh Live.
He said: “We are absolutely heartbroken. We collected Bonnie’s ashes this morning (December 31).
“I think people that don’t have dogs just see them as a dog, but our kids have autism. One is severely autistic and he’s unable to go school and doesn’t have any friends. Bonnie was so suited to him. She wasn’t just a dog, she was an important part of us.”
With the loss of four-year old Maggie in October still raw, Bonnie’s death was challenging to process.
Dave said: “With losing Maggie, we couldn’t fight against what she had. We made the decision to let her go because she wasn’t going to get better. That was so hard, but we made the decision for her benefit. But there was no reason for Bonnie to die.”
“Bonnie was only three years old so we thought we had so much more time with her. The kids are only struggling with losing not just one but both dogs in the space of two months. The house just feels so empty.”
Dave explained how situations like these can be particularly difficult for autistic children.
He added: “For children with autism, it’s all about routine and relying on things being the same. When you take it away, it’s not just like the dog isn’t there. It’s a whole break of routine. Processing that is so much harder for them than for someone who is neurotypical.”
The family claim this is not the first time a delivery driver has left their gate open, and had even installed a latch to ensure it could be closed easily, for the safety of their young children playing in the garden as well as their pets.
Dave said: “I hope that delivery drivers and anyone opening someone’s gate know to close the gate behind you. You wouldn’t leave someone’s front door open behind you. It could’ve been our son that was in the street.”
An Amazon spokesperson said: “We send our condolences to the family and have launched an investigation into the incident.”
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