AN AUTHOR from Looe has used the proceeds from her debut novel to adopt a rescue dog from Mauritius.

All proceeds from the sale of Hazel Dodge’s novel, Accidental Inheritance, went towards bringing five-month-old puppy, Latte, to the UK from the island of Mauritius, off the south-eastern coast of Africa.

Hazel wanted to adopt Latte in the belief that she would make a great companion for fellow Mauritian rescue pooch Harvey that she already had at home.

Earlier this month, the author travelled to Bristol to pick up her new four-legged friend in what was an emotional moment as the two met for the first time.

Hazel said: “The first time I saw a picture of Latte I fell in love with her. When I collected her from Bristol, it was the first time we met, and it was a really nice moment. I drove back to Looe with her and it was an easy journey, she was really good in the car and now she’s here.

“She’s settled in really well. She’s terrified outside of the house as she saw siblings get run over and killed when she was in Mauritius, but my other dog loves her. It took them a couple of days before they got used to each other, but now they are absolutely mental and racing around the house.

Harvey and Latte.
Harvey and Latte are both rescue dogs from Mauritius

“Whenever you get a puppy, you don’t know what they are going to be like, but within two days they were playing with each other. Latte had no housing training at all, but she was used to other dogs as she was in a shelter which does help. She actually learnt to sit the first time I got her home too.”

The cost of bringing Latte to the UK was funded by the strong sales of Hazel’s first novel which was released in May.

Accidental Inheritance, which Hazel began writing in her garden over two decades ago, is the first book in a series of three entitled ‘The Sweetbriar Collection'.

After finishing the first novel, Hazel has already started writing the sequel and knows what’s going to happen in her third book too.

She added: “I am really happy that the book has been selling well, I’m part way through writing book two now so things are going from strength to strength.

“I launched it at the right time in May when summer was around the corner. Thank you to everyone that purchased the book.”

Additional proceeds from the novel will be donated to the dog rescue charity that was responsible for looking after Latte.

The self-funded Leicestershire-based charity, 4 Paws Rescue and Relocation International, cared for Latte at their shelter in Mauritius, before organising her transcontinental journey from Africa to the British Isles.

Members of the public can donate to the charity by visiting Hazel’s fundraising page on the GoFundMe website.

Writing on her fundraising page, she said: “I'd love to take this opportunity to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for your donations to this cause.

“I will be leaving the fundraiser open as the charity who helped Latte in her rescue need all the generous donations possible. Their shelters in Mauritius are bursting with dogs needing adoption.”

“The charity will forever be grateful to receive any continued contributions to their cause in the rescue of stray and abandoned dogs in Mauritius.”

To donate, visit: www.gofundme.com/f/sponsor-latte-to-be-rescued-to-the-uk