Donal Rogers, the man who fought to save his dog Kim has passed away

Donal, who made headlines along with his pet dog Kim this year, sadly passed away on Christmas Day aged 85.

The public became familiar with retired guard Donal Rogers this year as he fought for his Jack Russell Kim to be saved, after she bit a woman outside his home in Strokestown, Roscommon. Condolences have been pouring in for the loyal dog owner, including from Tipperary-based dog shelter Haven Rescue. In a heartwarming message shared on Instagram, the shelter wrote:

We are so saddened to hear about the passing of Donal yesterday. He captured the nation's earth this year with his heroic story. Donal stood for everything good in this world, when things got tough, instead of rehoming or simply put "getting rid of " - No - Donal stood by his doggie Kim... and did everything he possibly could to keep his little 4-legged friend, even when faced with a prison sentence. 

They concluded that "if there were more people like Donal - there would be no need for rescues". https://www.instagram.com/p/CmoiREcqjQ7/ Donal's story gained nationwide attention in July of this year, after a petition to save his dog Kim garnered over 170,000 signatures. A GoFundMe page separately raised more than €16,000. In October, a judge agreed to spare Kim's life if Donal put certain dog control measures in place, including erecting a fence around his property and ensuring that Kim was microchipped and kept on a lead at all times outside the property. Header image via gofundme READ NEXT: Two walkers rescued from mountain in Kerry on Christmas Day