Fundraiser cancelled for twins mauled by dog

RICHMOND — A fundraiser for two sisters mauled by a dog at a Richmond park last week has been taken down.

Alegria Gomez, who launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $2,000 for twins Kati and Jessi Mather, said their father, Steven Mather, asked her to take the site down after allegations surfaced suggesting the twins might have provoked the attack.

“There was a bunch of allegations made about them that humiliated the entire family,” said Gomez, a friend. “He didn’t want any of the attention on them anymore.”

The 21-year-old Mather sisters were injured Dec. 30 after Yogi, a Rottweiler-Husky cross owned by Kati and her boyfriend, turned on them.

Jessi suffered multiple cuts while shielding her three-year-old son, Jayden, from the dog. Kati, who tried to lure the dog away from the child, bore the brunt of the injuries, including more than 100 bites, a broken arm and a detached bicep.

The sisters’ actions were hailed as “heroic” by the RCMP, but their reputations were tarnished after a news report suggested the dog might have been exposed to drug use and abuse.

The twins have an Instagram page called Twins That Toke THC and a similar Facebook page with photos showing them partying or appearing to smoke marijuana.

The dog is in the custody of the Richmond Animal Protection Society. It is up to the City of Richmond to decide whether the animal will be put down or not.

The campaign raised $645 before it was taken down. Gomez said the money will go toward a trust managed by the twins’ father toward their care.