Jonno Bayman saw Gracie lying on the roadside. He stopped to help her and was held up at gunpoint, but after the terrifying ordeal, he picked her up and still saved her life.
Cape Town, South Africa (02 April 2024) – Gracie had been hit by a car in Phillipe; she lay on the side of the road for days with her back legs broken. It wasn’t until Jonno Bayman saw her that she had a fighting chance.
Jonno pulled over, and Gracie pulled herself into the shade under his car. Gracie was terrified of Jonno, fearing that he might hurt her, so he called the SPCA for assistance. He had called his fiance Kayleigh Lockem as well, to let her know he would be late as he was taking Gracie to the SPCA.
While he was trying to rescue her, Jonno was approached by five men. The men said he wasn’t safe in the area and chased off a few homeless people walking towards him. They helped him get Gracie into his car and watched as he made his way to the driver’s seat.
One of the men attacked Jonno as he climbed into his car, punching him hard in the face. They pulled him away from the car and started to go through it for anything valuable. They ripped his watch from his arm and threatened him with a gun and a large screwdriver. They then attempted to start the car, but thankfully, it had run its battery down after being on the side of the road for so long. He handed over his phone and wallet, and they ran off, leaving him and Gracie behind.
Thankfully, Jonno had sent Kayleigh a location pin just before the men approached him. She arrived minutes after the attackers fled. He jumped in the car, and they drove to a nearby garage to get jumper cables. A man accompanied them back to Jonno’s car and helped them start it again.
Feeling rattled, they fled the area as soon as his car was running again. They set off to the SPCA, but it was closed, so they called the emergency line. This was when they found out that an inspector had been dispatched but could not locate Jonno.
They took Gracie to the SPCA, where she was given painkillers and kept overnight for monitoring before the hard work started in the morning. Jonno and Kayleigh were sent home.
Kayleigh called for an update the next morning and was told that Gracie, who they had now named, was in bad condition and that they shouldn’t have high expectations. She had severely broken back legs and the surgery required specialised equipment, which the SPCA didn’t have. The man they had been speaking to offered to help them find a veterinary clinic that would be willing to help.
After many calls and emails, Doctor Gray from the Panorama Veterinary Clinic and Specialist Centre agreed to perform the surgery pro bono for the SPCA. The surgery cost around R15,000.00, so it was a massive relief to Jonno and Kayleigh. They arranged to visit Gracie after her surgery, and the minute she saw Jonno, she beamed with love for her hero.
Kayleigh and Jonno had fallen in love with Gracie and needed to make a plan to adopt her. They were worried about their four cats at home and how Gracie would adapt.
“By this point, we were in too deep. Those shiny puppy eyes, happy smile and ridiculous overbite were no match for our tiny hearts. After about 4 weeks of recovery and cage rest at the SPCA, we signed the papers and Gracie became ours, officially” – Kayleigh Lockem
Check out the pics of Gracie and her forever family below:
The SPCA shared Gracie’s marvellous story and thanked everyone involved in her rescue and rehabilitation.
“The CoGH SPCA would like to extend our thanks to this beautiful couple who truly exemplify the very best in humanity – together Jonno Bayman and Kayleigh Lockem took a chance to help a dog that many people would have simply driven past, endured a terrifying robbery and despite it all stuck by Gracie giving her a second chance at happiness. With special thanks to Dr Gray of Panorama Veterinary Clinic & Specialist Centre”
You can watch her journey below. Today, she is a happy, well-loved dog living her very best life. Our hearts are a little fuller after seeing how much love this couple have given to a dog found discarded on the roadside, left to die.
Sources: SPCA / Facebook
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