A disgruntled dog owner has lashed out at a taxi firm after he was left with a £2,100 vet bill following a hit and run involving his pet shitzu.

Darren Mcauley, from Darwen, had to pay to have his dog’s leg amputated after it was run over by a taxi outside his home on Tuesday August 21.

The 36-year-old claims Rapid Taxis are responsible for the accident and because of this, they should help contribute towards the cost of his dog’s operation.

Mr Mcauley, who receives disability benefits, said: “Molly escaped from the front garden and ran out in front of a taxi that was speeding down the road.

“She suffered severe facial injuries, a smashed pelvis, a hole in her lung and a shattered back leg.”

When Mr Mcauley took Molly to the vets they told him she needed her leg amputating if she was to have any chance of surviving.

The dad of three, who lives on Grimshaw Street, then had to find £2,100 upfront to pay for the operation, which he said he was forced to borrow from friends.

He said: “I’m on disability benefits and can’t afford that kind of money upfront.

“I now have outstanding debts to people, as I had to pay the vets before they would operate and save my dogs life.

“I have three small children that were devastated, and I had to do all I could to save her for their sakes.

“She was tossed in the air and broke the grill at the front of the car the impact was so severe.

“The driver stopped, got out, looked at the dog in the road and drove off.

“I later contacted Rapid Taxis to ask for the driver’s insurance details and to ask if they would help with the vet’s bill, but they’ve not listened to me.

“The taxi driver did come round to my house to apologise but I’ve had no help whatsoever with the bill.”

Mr Mcauley claims he called the driver’s insurance company who told him they had no record of the taxi driver being insured with them.

He has now set up a Go Fund Me page to help raise the cash to pay for the operation, which he claims should be footed by the taxi company.

He said: “I want the taxi company to just admit that they were wrong.

“Even if they just gave me half the money towards to operation it would be better than nothing.

“They said to me, ‘It’s just a dog’, but what if it had been my two-year-old who he’d knocked down? What would have happened then?”

Owner of Rapid Taxis, which has its base on Bolton Road in Darwen, Javed Ahmed, said: “The driver of the taxi has passed on his insurance details to Mr Mcauley and has apologised to him.

“All we can say is that it was an accident which could not have been avoided by us.

“The driver of the taxi tried his best to stop but he couldn’t brake in time.

“I have spoken to Darren and reassured him that the taxi driver is insured.

“I feel sorry for Darren, his family and the dog, but the driver did try to stop and that was all he could do.

“If Darren is looking for help with the bill and wants us to pay then he needs to take that up with the taxi driver.”