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Owner must raise £6,000 for vital operation
A DISTRAUGHT dog owner has launched a campaign to raise £6,000 so her puppy can have a life-changing operation.
Lottie Mellor was smitten when she first set eyes on Buddy, a Jack Russell who was just eight weeks old. He was a present from her twin sister Jessica, who picked him up from Manchester in August.
Lottie, from Newcastle, said: “I was super happy when I saw him. He is one of those dogs that are so loving and cute. I loved his temperament. As soon as
I got him, I fell in love with him.”
But on the third night at his new home, things started going wrong with Buddy’s health. His head was swaying and he was falling over.
By then, alarm bells had already been ringing for Lottie as her new pup didn’t want to play or walk. She took him to Lime Tree Emergency Vets. I was so worried and I panicked. I thought there was something neurological going on. I thought he was going to die,” the 30-year-old recalled.
“He wasn’t able to move much. His energy levels were down and his vision was affected as well. The vet noticed he never looked at you.
“They didn’t know what was wrong with him. They noticed he had ataxia, which is like an abnormal gait in his walk. They gave him some painkillers but that didn’t do anything at all for him.
“I only had him for three days and I couldn’t believe how much I loved him already. I was sitting in the car outside the vets and just crying my eyes out.”
There were several more trips to different vets, including Croft Veterinary Clinic. Then a blood test revealed he had a liver shunt.
Lottie said: “All the toxins that should be going to the liver are in his blood.
“He needs an operation which will sever the artery which will force the blood through his liver.
“When he is on medication, he is a happy little puppy and we could see his personality come through. He still has his bad days but, when he has his good days, he is more responsive and he wants to play.
“Seeing him go through this is heart-breaking, it’s not fair.
“He is only 12 weeks old and he doesn’t know what normal feels like yet.
“It’s a cruel world, he is a poor little baby and you don’t know why things like this happen to someone so young.”
Buddy’s operation has been booked for October 28 – but Lottie must first raise £6,000 to cover the cost.
Now she has set up a Go Fund Me fundraising page and has so far raised more than £1,600.
Lottie added: “He will be a perfect little healthy dog afterwards. At the moment, he is being fed on a no protein diet because his body can’t absorb the protein.
“It would mean everything for him to be able to have this surgery. The response has been overwhelming and we have had so much support.
“It’s so nice to see how many people will donate, especially during these difficult times.”
A FARMERS’ market will return to a Staffordshire town next month.
The popular Stone market set up home in Westbridge Park during the summer to comply with Covid-19 regulations, but will return to Stone on Saturday, November 7.
Stafford Borough Council has been working with local businesses to make sure stallholders and shoppers could have a safe return and there will be a new layout to help social distancing, designated viewing areas in front of the stalls and marked queuing points.