Please help cover vet bill costs

My name is Sian and I’m an animal rights activists and hunt saboteur of 13 seasons. I have sabbed with Bristol, Bath, Severn Vale, South Wales, Somerset, Weymouth Animal Rights and North Dorset groups. Hunt sabs in the UK actively try to stop the cruel and illegal hunting with dogs of hares, foxes, deer, otters and mink. Sabs like me also actively fight against the badger cull. We frequently face violence and intimidation from hunters.

This is a story about Negan, a foxhound that came abruptly into my life eight years ago after being rescued. He was bewildered, exhausted and neglected.

Hounds that remain with hunting packs are mostly shot when they become deemed too slow, unwell or injured.

My little sanctuary currently comprises

of six dogs and three cats, all rescued or adopted. They settled in so well they're my family now.

My pack are; Negan, lvy, a Labrador x

staffie, Maggie another foxhound, Piglet (a terrible cruelty case who was so broken that the world terrifies her but is fine with me and sleeps on my feet in bed) Bella, an

oldie now but a gentle Labrador and

Daisy, an ex puppy farm dog who took

about six months to come out of her

shell and trust me. I'd love to take more

foxhounds in, I shouldn't say it, but

l've such a soft spot for them and

they deserve a life after the brutality of fox hunting.

Negan was being kept somewhere temporarily and needed to go the next day. 24 hours later I was on my way to collect him, not sure whether I was fostering him or adopting him. I had fostered dogs for nearly ten years at that point, so I thought one “little” foxhound will be a doddle!”

On the way home, I kept looking at him. He was huge and I couldn’t stop laughing: who on earth is going to want a great big goofy foxhound? As it turned out, not many people. Not anybody really, and so it was me who kept him.

So many people haven’t had the privilege of having a foxhound in their life, yet so many of them need loving homes. I quickly discovered that, contrary to popular belief, fox hounds are truly special and adapt incredibly well to life after hunting.

Negan joined Alfie, and my little Shih Tzu, Lily. Alfie had come to me six months previously, also an ex pack hound that faced a death sentence. Negan settled in so well although, over the years, his recall remained appalling. But his gentle heart stayed the same, proven by the fact that he once found himself living with ten baby chickens at one time and my lovely house rabbit, Charley. This gentle little crew of rescued babies terrified Negan, along with loud noises and fireworks. Together, all of the dogs bonded and quickly earnt their name, the Asbos due to their at times, unruly behaviour! They made my life fun, colourful and occasionally, exasperating, and became well known to my friends.

Alfie died due to cancer on 26 June, just gone, and now Negan has been diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma. He has four tumours: two need to be removed as they will spread around his body, which is already been taken over with by spondylitis, caused most probably from his hunting days of jumping fences and getting through barbed wire. His condition is very progressive.

My Negan’s treatment will cost £3,000 and I’ve just paid out £1,600 for Alfie and Negan, both. My credit card is maxed out. I am a paid carer for my daughter, who is in remission from osteoscarcoma, which she was diagnosed with just after her 17 birthday. I just don’t have the finances to give Negan what he needs to live out his days pain-free and dignified.

I’ve never had to crowd fund before, but vet bills are so expensive. I am just putting this out now in the hope that some help will come so that I can help Negan. Any and every donation, however small, will go towards his care. Thank you for taking the time to read this and also in advance to any of you who can help.

Long live the fox, Sian.