Neighborhood children open lemonade stand to raise money for dog hit by motorcycle

ORLANDO, Fla. (WESH) – Neighborhood kids in Florida pitched in to help an adorable dog recover from a traffic accident.

Stevie the golden retriever is struggling to survive after the accident, but children with big hearts have come to Stevie’s rescue in more ways than one.

Stevie’s Orlando family said she is their pride and joy.

“She’s really smart. She’s very obedient, and she’s just so cute,” Marisol Serrano, Stevie’s owner, said.

In mid-September, Stevie was hit by a motorcycle in front of Serrano’s house.

When Serrano’s daughter came home from work, Stevie ran out of the house and was near the daughter when a motorcyclist drove by, hit Stevie, and then kept going.

“She called the dog, and the dog got up and walked towards her and collapsed,” Serrano said. “The motorcycle just left. She was like, ‘Hey, hey, you just hit my dog.’”

Stevie suffered a punctured lung and fractured ribs. She spent six days in the ICU, but the surgery worked.

“They saved her life … That doctor saved her life,” Serrano said.

Back in the neighborhood, Stevie’s young fan club was working on a plan to help pay for her recovery.

The kids put together an old-fashioned lemonade stand, but they upped the game by posting a QR code for any drive-by donations. They sealed the deal with pictures of the golden retriever wearing her trademark bandanas.

“I felt really bad, so I wanted to help,” Jules, the fundraiser’s organizer, said. “And I told my mom about the idea, and she thought it was a good idea.”

On Sunday, the kids presented Serrano with the money they raised, carefully stuffing it in an envelope. The amount was an impressive $403.

“And when they gave me this money, and they came to the door, I just started crying,” Serrano said.

Stevie is now on the mend and on more prescription medicine than can be counted on one hand, but she’s getting stronger everyday with help from her friends.