'Speechless': Stray cat's operation funded by kind strangers' donations
Peppa and Savannah will be able to have Christmas together now - Credit: Danielle Booden
A little girl has seen all her Christmas wishes come true after generous donations from folks across the city funded a vital operation for her pet.
Just a week ago Francesca Baber and her daughter Savannah, eight, turned to the Evening News for help.
An alley cat they had taken in, named Peppa, needed dental work worth thousands with Ms Baber worrying the stray would have to be taken to a shelter if a solution couldn't be find.
However a brilliant response from Evening News readers has seen £1,255 raised - and Peppa has been booked in for her operation in early December.
Ms Baber said: "I'm speechless. It was the Evening News that did it.
"I thought we might raise a few hundred pounds - anything which might help - but when I saw strangers putting in amounts like £85 their generosity just overwhelmed me, in a good way!
"When I told Savannah we could keep Peppa because strangers had donated she was just absolutely overjoyed."
The little girl who lives in Mile Cross had been offering to give up her Christmas presents so every penny of her mum's money could go to Peppa.
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Ms Baber said: "She was so understanding - all she wanted for Christmas was for Peppa to be well and stay with us.
"Thanks to these donations she can have a present too - I'm just so thankful to everyone who has donated."
Peppa will have 15 of her teeth out on December 8 but is already feeling better thanks to antibiotics.
"You could tell she was feeling unwell. The antibiotics are already clearly kicking in, she's just got a bit more life to her," Ms Baber added.
And when Savannah is home the pair are "inseparable".
"Peppa sleeps on Savannah's bed when she's off at school and then when she goes to sleep at night Peppa curls up next to her.
"She's such a lovely cat - especially considering she was an alley cat - I couldn't have asked for more," Ms Baber added.
The goal for Peppa's operation is £1,500 and any funds raised over that amount will be used to cover any complications from the surgery and if not, donated to FAITH animal rescue.
To visit the GoFundMe visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-save-our-peppa