#SaveWacko
Donation protected
Wacko and his sister Lilly were born on the 4th June 2016, along with four other puppies. The litter of puppies were born on a working farm in Wales and parented by working dogs. The dogs were not viewed as family members or pets but tools to generate income and after there working day were left to scavenge, romp and multiply their incestuous pack. All puppies born on the farm were left to fend for themselves and prove their strength and resilience to the conditions around them to one day become a worker for the farm.
The puppies were discovered by a Vet who visited the farm to conduct service for the cattle etc. The Vet found the litter of six to be weak, sickly and close to death. The Vet demanded to take the puppies from the farm and care for them. The illness that the puppies suffered was caused due to scavenging for food on the farm and eating bacteria, that is found in soil and dirt, which breaks down the stomach wall lining. Sadly, four of the litter were unable to defeat this illness and died whilst in the Vet’s care, after multiple attempts to rescue them. Wacko and Lilly, after a miracle, had managed to survive their cruel entrance to life. Wacko became strong and full of life but Lilly continued to have a gastro illness that was medicated for, and her strength would soon appear and her illness be cured.
The Vet did not have the time to properly care for the young Border-Collie puppies, as they needed constant exercise and mental stimulation, and decided it was time to rehome Wacko and Lilly. We reached out to the Vet and spoke with them about the life and love we could provide. So, on the 20th August 2016 we drove four hours to meet the eleven week old Wacko and Lilly and began providing them with a fulfilled life full of love and happy experiences. In return, Wacko and Lilly’s devotion to us has provided us with a fulfilled life too.
In February 2017 our family began to notice a change in Wacko, he began to limp on his hind legs, became less agile and energetic and started to lose his happy-go-lucky persona and instead became lethargic, depressed and denied any fun interactions. We immediately sought advice at Wacko’s vet practise. At first we hoped it was an injury or strain and Wacko was given a course of anti-inflammatories, but devastatingly his condition worsened. Wacko could no longer run, jump or stand without being in immense pain. Our hearts began to break at the thought of Wacko in pain. The next step was an X-Ray for Wacko. On return from the X-Ray Wacko’s vet refused to inform us of their opinion before seeking specialist advise. At this point we knew the news was not good and we prepared ourselves for the worse. Our family did not sleep that night dreading the thought of the news the following day. After seeking specialist opinion, our vet explained to us the news. Wacko was diagnosed with a SEVERE case of Canine Hip Dysplasia caused from inbreeding.
The vet has given Wacko three options:
1. A lifetime course of anti-inflammatories and intense painkillers. A solution which will cause Wacko to live a life of rest with the inability to exercise and have fun, gain intense arthritis in his legs, create his stomach lining to deteriorate and overall live a short, painful and depressed life. Not recommended.
2. A Femoral Head and Neck Ostectomy. An operation that removes part of the leg joint that is meant to fit into the hip. This operation comes with many complications, a low success rate, and a decrease in motion for Wacko, infection, limb shortening, loss of function in the legs and over time intense arthritis. Again, a shortened, painful and unfulfilling life for Wacko. Not recommended.
3. A total hip replacement surgery (THR), which is only offered to severe cases where a lifetime benefit is possible. Wacko would receive an operation that would provide him with a long-lasting, “normal”, active life. Recommended.
Wacko was not rescued as a young puppy to be given up on. We promised him, and Lilly, to give them a promising future and a long life filled with happiness, not a short life full of pain and despair. Our hearts were broken when learning of Wacko’s intense pain and our hope was crushed when learning the life-saving operation will cost £14,000. We are reaching out to the world to save our entire family, not just Wacko. Wacko deserves a chance of happiness and our family is nothing without him. Please help us #SaveWacko.
The puppies were discovered by a Vet who visited the farm to conduct service for the cattle etc. The Vet found the litter of six to be weak, sickly and close to death. The Vet demanded to take the puppies from the farm and care for them. The illness that the puppies suffered was caused due to scavenging for food on the farm and eating bacteria, that is found in soil and dirt, which breaks down the stomach wall lining. Sadly, four of the litter were unable to defeat this illness and died whilst in the Vet’s care, after multiple attempts to rescue them. Wacko and Lilly, after a miracle, had managed to survive their cruel entrance to life. Wacko became strong and full of life but Lilly continued to have a gastro illness that was medicated for, and her strength would soon appear and her illness be cured.
The Vet did not have the time to properly care for the young Border-Collie puppies, as they needed constant exercise and mental stimulation, and decided it was time to rehome Wacko and Lilly. We reached out to the Vet and spoke with them about the life and love we could provide. So, on the 20th August 2016 we drove four hours to meet the eleven week old Wacko and Lilly and began providing them with a fulfilled life full of love and happy experiences. In return, Wacko and Lilly’s devotion to us has provided us with a fulfilled life too.
In February 2017 our family began to notice a change in Wacko, he began to limp on his hind legs, became less agile and energetic and started to lose his happy-go-lucky persona and instead became lethargic, depressed and denied any fun interactions. We immediately sought advice at Wacko’s vet practise. At first we hoped it was an injury or strain and Wacko was given a course of anti-inflammatories, but devastatingly his condition worsened. Wacko could no longer run, jump or stand without being in immense pain. Our hearts began to break at the thought of Wacko in pain. The next step was an X-Ray for Wacko. On return from the X-Ray Wacko’s vet refused to inform us of their opinion before seeking specialist advise. At this point we knew the news was not good and we prepared ourselves for the worse. Our family did not sleep that night dreading the thought of the news the following day. After seeking specialist opinion, our vet explained to us the news. Wacko was diagnosed with a SEVERE case of Canine Hip Dysplasia caused from inbreeding.
The vet has given Wacko three options:
1. A lifetime course of anti-inflammatories and intense painkillers. A solution which will cause Wacko to live a life of rest with the inability to exercise and have fun, gain intense arthritis in his legs, create his stomach lining to deteriorate and overall live a short, painful and depressed life. Not recommended.
2. A Femoral Head and Neck Ostectomy. An operation that removes part of the leg joint that is meant to fit into the hip. This operation comes with many complications, a low success rate, and a decrease in motion for Wacko, infection, limb shortening, loss of function in the legs and over time intense arthritis. Again, a shortened, painful and unfulfilling life for Wacko. Not recommended.
3. A total hip replacement surgery (THR), which is only offered to severe cases where a lifetime benefit is possible. Wacko would receive an operation that would provide him with a long-lasting, “normal”, active life. Recommended.
Wacko was not rescued as a young puppy to be given up on. We promised him, and Lilly, to give them a promising future and a long life filled with happiness, not a short life full of pain and despair. Our hearts were broken when learning of Wacko’s intense pain and our hope was crushed when learning the life-saving operation will cost £14,000. We are reaching out to the world to save our entire family, not just Wacko. Wacko deserves a chance of happiness and our family is nothing without him. Please help us #SaveWacko.
Organizer
Katie Collis-Hunt
Organizer
