News
Dutch couple delays train ride to help injured dog
A Dutch couple, concerned by the plight of a stray dog at the Gampaha railway station this week, delayed their journey to Kandy for more than 7 hours, before they called in a veterinary and handed over the animal.
All's well that ends well
The tourists, who had booked their rail tickets to Kandy from Gampaha, had observed a stray dog with an injured leg, on arrival at the station around 9 a.m.
“We decided to delay our journey and help the dog. We sought help from onlookers, but did not get any. A local journalist in the area volunteered to help”, Sherly Fherilyn, 39, an IT professional from the Netherlands said.
She said the journalist contacted a senior police officer in the area and sought help to remove the dog to a animal welfare centre. A police officer helped to contact a private veterinary hospital which sent a vehicle and a vet around 5.30 pm.
Fherilyn said they were happy to help the dog, though their journey was delayed, and appreciated the assistance of the journalist and the police.
The couple eventually left by the 6.30 p.m. Kandy train.
Sherly with the injured dog Pix by Tilkaratne Dissanayake