Grace, who loves to play with Ben and his sister Lucy, has already settled into her new home in Rutland
The family of a teenager who swam across a "freezing" lake to raise money for a Tunisian rescue dog say they are amazed by the public response.
Ben Wright, 14, from Oakham, swam across Rutland Water to raise the £2,000 needed to bring cross-breed puppy Grace to the UK.
The family say they found the dog being beaten by gardeners at a hotel in which they were staying in June.
Ben raised £3,500. The excess will go to a north Africa dog rescue charity.
'Faith in humanity'
His mother, Donna Wright, said: "It is absolutely amazing - a real rollercoaster from the very beginning.
Ben raised £3,500 by swimming across Rutland Water
"It restores your faith in humanity - the donations and support have been overwhelming."
The family was told at first that the charity swim was not possible, but Anglian Water later agreed to the fundraiser as a "one-off", she said.
Ben said he was "so relieved" that the puppy was now safely in the UK.
"She gets very excited when she knows she is going out for a walk and her tail gets wagging."
The family had befriended the dog, which is about seven or eight months old, while staying at a hotel in Sousse.
One evening when they were returning from the beach they heard the dog "screaming" and saw two gardeners beating it with clubs.
They and an animal rescue worker from Rescue Animals of North Africa, who happened to be in the hotel, took the dog away to a foster home.
Grace, who arrived in Rutland in early October, will be trained to become a pet-therapy dog so she can visit hospitals and care homes.
The Wrights also have a 10-year-old Labrador which has already been trained by the Pets for Therapy charity.
Ben says he is "very relieved" the puppy is safe in the UK
- Published22 October 2015
