I never imagined having to ask for help like this, to be so vulnerable, but this boy is my whole world and I want to give him the best chance.

Jasper is 5 years old. As all goldens are, he is bubbly and loving and so full of personality. He loves everyone he sees, is always happy to show off for pets and enjoys a cwtch after a long day.

Two days after the national alert regarding wildfires, Jasper was on a usual walk, nothing out of the ordinary. He was enjoying the smells and sounds, enjoying spending time with his family after another warm day.

Then, everything changed. Whether out of negligence or ignorance, someone decided to discard a disposable BBQ or not extinguish a fire completely and left the already dry ground searing hot but not smoking. Our whole life changed in moments.

Jasper had stepped/ran through the patch of discarded embers and began to dig out of curiosity. It wasn’t until seconds later we registered exactly what it was. He cried out and was picked up immediately and rushed to the vets. His paws were immediately red, raw and oozing, and he was in complete distress.

Since then, he has visited the vets every single day for check ups, bandage changes and medication updates. Every time the bandages are changed, he has to be sedated because of the pain. At home, he cannot enjoy life as he used to as all four of his paws have third degree burns.

So far, we have maxed out our insurance limit and spent £5000+ of our own money. The vets say this is going to be a long and gruelling process, costs of £450 per day for at least a month just to give him the best chance, as well as burn specialist fees and ongoing medical checks to ensure the wounds heal entirely.

Asking people for money is difficult and embarrassing, but if it gives Jasper a slither of a chance at recovery then I would do it 10x over. He has so much life left in him and I want to help him live it.

If you can’t donate, please don’t feel bad or guilty, a kind comment or a share goes a long way when we feel so hopeless.

Thank you for anyone who read all the way through and I hope that this can at least spread awareness for fire safety and the importance of disposing of materials correctly. An hour of fun for someone has completely transformed the trajectory of his life as we know it.