Help Tia walk again

Hello. My name is Sonja. I am fund raising for my dog Tia. She has been diagnosed with a tumour in her spine. I have health insurance for her but the cost of the treatment she needs exceeds the amount I have insured her for by over £4000. If she doesnt get the surgery she needs she probably only has a few more weeks to live.

Let me tell you a little bit about Tia. She is a nearly 5 year old Dutch herder who has been my constant companion since she was 6 weeks old.

She came to me at a very difficult time in my life and has been a huge support to me for nearly 5 years now.

I work as a dog groomer and Tia comes to work with me every day. She loves all my customers and knows when we get to the ones that will come out and say hello to her. She is always happy to give a hug to anyone feeling a bit down and will happily stay with my customers keeping them company while I groom their dogs. She knows who will give her treats, which places she can get out of the van to play and who is likely to need a hug.

Tia was with me right through the Covid lockdowns. As I live on my own it was sometimes difficult being isolated especially when I came down with covid at the beginning. Tia was with me all through this making me laugh, demanding I take her for walks or play ball with her. She really gave me a reason to get up in the morning.

Tia is also a real help to me around the house. I have back problems and Tia helps me with day today tasks. She gets clothes out of the washing machine and puts them in the basket. She picks things up and hands them to me if I drop them. I have been teaching her to find my keys when I lose them in the house as well. She is such a help.

Earlier this year my youngest daughter died and my world fell apart.

Tia is always with me to offer comfort when I need it. She gives the best hugs. Always seeming to know when I am finding life really hard. I call her my emotional support dog.

Tia loves agility and taking to training made the world seem a little bit more normal at least for a short time. She loves it so much. Gradually life became a bit more bearable.

Unfortunately, in June this year I noticed Tia having the odd stumble when doing her beloved agility. Various vet tests have shown she has a mass on her spine.

Her hind legs are becoming more wobbly and she has had to stop doing agility much to her sadness and mine. Unfortunately the vet has said the tumour will carry on growing until Tia loses the use of her hind legs and she will be in severe pain. If I don’t do something about it Then Tia only has a few weeks left to live

I do have vet insurance for her but the tests and treatment up to now have cost nearly £6000 and the insurance limit is £8000. To remove the tumour from Tia's spine will cost £6000 and there will be further costs for physio and medication on top of this. After the insurance is used up I will be at least £4000 short of what I need to pay for Tia's operation, and will have nothing left for any medication, physio, or Hydrotherapy that she will need to ensure she revcovers the use of her legs. I do have some savings and credit cards but it is going to be touch and go if I can get enough money together before her surgery on 25th September.

If anyone can contribute anything to help Tia I would be so grateful. She is my absolute soulmate and I don’t quite know how I will manage without her. Thank you very much