Two British women ‘trying to rescue dogs’ killed in Romania crash | News UK

Two women on a mission to rescue 10 dogs died after a minibus, two trucks and a van collided in Romania.

Allison Condon, 61, and Rachael Harvey-Purkiss, 41, were in a minibus driving along the DN6, near the village of Vălișoara, Thursday morning.

The vehicle went on the wrong side of the road and crashed head-on into a lorry, injuring the 60-year-old driver, according to Romanian news outlet Informat.ro.

The lorry hit another HGV, trapping the minibus, before another van crashed into the pile-up.

Rachael, from Essex, and Allison, from Northamptonshire, died at the scene just after 11am. Eight of the 10 dogs also died.

The women were in western Romania to take the dogs to France for the UK-based Homeward Bound, which helps street dogs in Turkey.

Allison’s daughter, Sammie Condon, said on Facebook that she has received an ‘incredible outpouring of support’ from well-wishers.

‘This wasn’t supposed to happen…I’m still trying to come to terms with the fact it did and we still don’t know why or how just yet,’ she wrote.

‘This was supposed to be a beautiful adventure that brought dogs to the life they dreamed of. Then we were going to go home, carry on with our lives and try to build a better one

‘And all of it is gone.’

Sammie added that at least one dog survived the crash and is with a Romanian rescue shelter.

‘We cannot take away their grief’

Claire Dalton, the founder of Homeward Bound, said on social media that she is ‘heartbroken’.

An admin of the organisation’s Facebook group said Allison and Rachael’s hearts were ‘full of nothing but love and care for animals’.

‘Today we’re grieving in a way I can’t explain to you,’ they said, describing them as ‘two beautiful rare diamonds’.

More than £23,000 has been raised for Allison and Rachael’s families to cover the costs of flights, vet bills and supporting the remaining dogs.

‘We cannot take away their grief. But together, we can help ease the financial burden that has fallen on them so suddenly,’ the fundraiser says.

The Foreign Office is aware of the incident and in touch with the local authorities.

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