By Victoria Stone-Meadows
MANY members of the Warburton community would be familiar with the friendly face of Tala, an eight-year-old black Labrador who helps her owner Ned Kelly around town.
Tala is an assistance dog for Mr Kelly who suffers from PTSD, depression and anxiety from his time in the Navy but now she needs the community’s help.
Tala has developed a problem that stops her from being able to put weight on one of her back legs.
“If I go into a turn, she gives me an affectionate nibble or cuddles, and turns my attention to her rather than to what is causing problems,” Mr Kelly said.
“She is just a joy to have around no matter the circumstances.”
Mr Kelly doesn’t have the means to pay for her surgery to get her back to running around like a pup again.
Eve Marso, also of Warburton, has enlisted the help of a friend to lend a hand to Mr Kelly to get Tala the help she so desperately needs.
Ms Marso has set up a fund-raising effort to help Mr Kelly afford the vet appointments and treatment Tala needs to get her back on all four legs.
“This help and to have Tala’s vet bills paid would be phenomenal,” Mr Kelly said.
“It would bring a tear to my eye to see her back on all four legs again.
“She is otherwise a really happy and healthy dog and has adapted to using three legs and it doesn’t really slow her down; she still loves to swim but can’t run like she used to.”
Mr Kelly said the help that had been offered by Ms Marso and the wider Warburton community had overwhelmed him a little bit.
“This restores my faith in human nature,” he said.
“The community of Warburton are a really good, loving and healing community and I thank everyone for their support since I came to Warburton, just such a lovely bunch of people.”
Tala has an x-ray at Animal Aid in Coldstream on Wednesday 1 September where Mr Kelly will find out exactly what is causing the problem and how it can be fixed.
To find out how you can help Tala, visit her Facebook page by searching ‘Tala Kelly’ and contributing to the cause.
