Tommy the springer spaniel who was found straying in Merthyr Tydfil back in June. Sadly no owner came forward to collect him, so he has come into the care of Hope Rescue in Llanharan. As soon as he arrived it became very clear that Tommy was an elderly chap, with lots of lumps and bumps under his fur. On further examination at the vet he was diagnosed with heart and kidney disease, but due to his age the charity decided not to operate, but instead keep him comfortable and move him into a palliative foster home to enjoy his last months in comfort.
His foster mum Kate said:
“Tommy has been a love from day one. He had a lot of vet visits and tests in his first couple of weeks here, which he agreed to with hardly any complaint, but it must have been difficult for an poorly old man surrounded by unfamiliar people. Now that we have his treatment and medication organised he’s been able to settle in properly and we are seeing him relax and enjoy his home.”
“He loves going on mini adventures, even though he can’t walk far. He loves the car and will try to climb in on his own, but he can’t quite manage it. Luckily for us and him he doesn’t have any issues with personal space, he’s happy to be picked up even if I struggle a bit with 30kg of enormous spaniel. His diet is going really well, he wants to be active and isn’t really greedy bless his heart, he gets very excited around food and will shout, shout, shout.”
“Tom loves a cwtch, he has the most gorgeous way of getting up really close and flopping down on your lap, you have to brace yourself, we call this the ‘floopen flop’ and he’s a grand master at it. Tom does have a lot of physical problems, but he has such a happy attitude. I think his painkillers, heart and kidney medication are helping him feel better.”
Hope Rescue are asking for help to cover the costs of their palliative care bills each month. This will include vet treatment, prescription medication and specialist diet food for conditions such as diabetes and thyroid issues. Each month, the palliative care costs are close to £1000 to cover medical costs for Tommy and our other elderly rescues.
Amy Greenfield, Fundraising Manager said “At Hope Rescue we commit to caring for every unclaimed stray from 6 local councils, this approach inevitably means we see a lot of elderly and poorly dogs. Many of these dogs are simply too frail for invasive surgery, but they still have a high quality of life, so we include them in our palliative foster scheme. This provides them with a home-from-home with one of our amazing volunteers where they can enjoy a cwtch and a comfy sofa. Generous donations from the public mean our golden oldies will be able to enjoy the twilight of their lives with all the care and comforts that they deserve.
“And I mustn’t forget to say a huge thank you to the Hope Rescue volunteer foster carers who open their hearts and homes to abandoned dogs at the end of their lives. What a selfless act. It’s a very special individual who can step in to care for a dog that others have discarded, you’re truly amazing.”
If you would like to make a donation to Hope Rescue’s work, please visit:
https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/? rl=www.hoperescue.org.uk&data=02%7C01%7C%7C751fa8b0050f483dcfd108d7248a89f8%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637018049742353771&sdata=HFAa8vNR1dphqBOL6Kw94sBJoBm5b4lB7bGcy6jOGhg%3D&reserved=0 [1] or call on 01443 226659.
Registered charity number 1129629
