By Margaret Maccoll
Pete Raine was so heartbroken at the loss of his beloved staffy Lucy who was killed in a hit and run accident before Christmas his friends and neighbours rallied to lift his spirits by building him the garden he’d always wanted.
While Pete was away on holiday neighbour Leanne Spence phoned up her network of landscapers and gardeners she knows through her business Elite Rentals Noosa and sent out the message to the community of what was happening.
“We had 25 people get down there,” she said.
“We had to do six runs to get mulch and literally everyone brought shovels and picks. And most of the plants were donated.
“We wanted to do it for him and to have a memorial for Lucy because she was his life. One of his mates bought a (memorial) plaque and we planted a pink frangipani – it was Lucy’s tree.”
The group worked quickly from Christmas to get the job completed by his return on New Year’s Day and shared their secret with Pete’s children so they didn’t alert him.
“It was just about giving to someone who has given to the community for so many years,” Leanne said. “He’s just a beautiful person. If anyone needed anything Pete would be there.”
“His dog was such a loss and it was such a sudden thing. Lucy would do the rounds of the neighbours. Everyone knew her.”
The heart-warming story attracted the attention of television. To see Leanne and Pete’s appearance on Sunrise visit au.news.yahoo.com/sunrise/video/watch/38562885/kind-neighbours-transform-garden-of-their-mate-doing-it-tough/
