Hi my name is Lisa and I am Rex's human.

Rex and I became dog and human partners just a little under three years ago. He came to me after his original human died suddenly in her sleep. Rex was six and a half years old and he was devastated.

When we met he was depressed and seriously obese, his past human had debilitating PTSD but as a good and loyal Blue Heeler Rex did not desert her. He sat by her 24/7 and never really got the exercise a Blue Heeler craves and needs.

He got fat and as the best years of his life drifted away he had no knowledge of anything much outside of a small yard in the inner suburbs of Sydney.

After his first human passed away, her distant relatives tried to find someone to take him, until a friend suggested my tiny little place in the country in the Snowy Mountains as a potential place where he could come and live. My place is surrounded by farming land. A Blue Heeler paradise.

I wasn't sure, but I travelled to the city and met Rex and he desperately licked my face looking for someone to love him. There was a very real threat that they would put him to sleep if they couldn't find anyone to rehome him with. I couldn't resist his big brown eyes and I agreed that he would be the perfect dog to come to the country with me.

His distant relatives brought him to me, and in less than an hour they had left and Rex howled like he had been broken into pieces. I had never heard a dog sound like that before and it wrenched open my heart.

My first year with Rex wasn't easy, he was anxious and had no idea what to do in the country with so much space and horses... and cows. But he is a loving and gentle fella and within days he became my shadow. He would have been a superb working dog if he had ever been trained properly in his youth.

But for me he is my constant companion, my little buddy, my Rexicles. His breeding is immaculate, he is after all, 'A Masterpiece Sick 'Em Rex' but none of that matters. He is just Rexy to me. His earlier sedentary life has now come against him. I have done as much as I could to regulate his diet and he has done a lot of miles with me. People that know me know I can't sit still so to say Rex made up for lost time with exercise in the last three years is not an exaggeration.

Eventually though I knew his obesity in his younger life might affect his health and though he has dropped 10kgs since he has been with me Rex went into Ketosis over the weekend and as I write this he is in the Animal Hospital which is an hour drive from me.

While many people would say 'Oh he is a dog, just put him out of his misery' they may not understand what a joy and how much companionship a doggie friend can give. How much a doggo can contribute to your life. And Rex has not only contributed to my life but has become my close family. I know when I drive up to the gate Rex will be waiting on the verandah, when no-one else will, and then come running down to the car, and while I open and close the gate, I will leave the car door open and Rex will jump in so we can drive the last 80 meters of my journey to our home together.

He will ward off all strangers with his ferocious bark and then if he knows the visitor will wag his tail ferociously and lick them as if to say 'Sorry just doing my job here'. Rex will follow me literally in the shadow I cast.

Rex is unconditional, I could be terrible to him if I wanted to be and he would still love me. He would never raise a paw against me unless it was to give me a doggie hug. Rex in all ways is a beautiful entity and I need your help to be able to give him the ongoing diabetes treatment he needs and deserves for being such a 'Good Dog' for so many reasons.

So even if you can spare $5 me and Rex would appreciate it. Vet bills are very expensive (I am already up to at least $2500 and probably more) and there will be ongoing treatment for the rest of Rex's life.

I know Rex can have a great quality of life with the correct management and lots of effort on my part. But its an effort I am more than willing to give because of what a loyal, loving, caring friend Rex has become to me. I can't even think about the alternative.

All I know is that Rex deserves a good life because he has always been more than just a 'Good Dog'.

Please share this widely and even if you have a spare dollar Rex will be eternally grateful.