Lucy Pug Needs Our Help

Last year when DBARC took a little pug into their care it was clear that she had multiple health problems. Lucy had endured several pregnancies and arrived in a dismal state of neglect with a range of worrying neurological symptoms. It was clear that to get to the bottom of Lucy’s problems it would take dedication and a lot of money. You can read how I first heard about her last summer here.

Plus there was the small problem of finding her a home where it could be guaranteed that she would be cherished and care would continue under the shadow of her complex issues resurfacing in future. It’s no easy task for a rescue to find homes for dogs like Lucy and no surprise that many just would not take a dog in knowing the problems ahead.

Then along came Ryan who fell in love with an overweight, underexercised, poorly, wobbly dog and from the moment they met in a kennel at DBARC, both their lives have been enriched immeasurably.

Photo credit: Connor Sean Potkins

So it was with a great deal of sadness that I heard from Ryan yesterday that Lucy is about to face the biggest challenge yet in her life, one already chockful with them – this time though she’ll have Ryan right alongside her.

I’ll let Ryan tell you more,

Lucy has done amazingly well over the last 15 months with us. She’s gone from strength to strength since leaving that puppy farm, as we all knew she would. She lost her wobbles as her exercise regime keeps her weight down and has given her stronger muscles. Good news too that the cyst on her spine hasn’t grown.

She’s had a great summer, winning Best in Show at the DBARC Funday and Puppy Farm Survivor Awards. She even attended the London Premier of Walt Disney’s ‘Patrick’ film as a VIP and loved every second of it!.

But during all the fun with Lucy, over the summer we’ve been aware things haven’t been quite right. We noticed blood in her urine, she’s had a painful anal gland infection and in the last 3 months she’s had many visits to Bracken Active Vets where the wonderful Jenny has been looking after her.
She’s had bladder scans, urine samples, lots of medication, all in a dedicated effort to mend our poor little Lucy. It’s been discovered that she has a thickened bladder wall, treatment a while ago eased things for her, but the thickening remains.

But, and this is the kicker we’ve just found out – the lump on her leg we noticed recently has been confirmed as a mast cell tumour. Our little Lucy really doesn’t do anything by halves! We’re devastated for her, but we have a plan and plenty of hope, she’s a fighter, everyone who meets her knows that.

So, next Friday she will undergo several things, including removal of the tumour, a bladder biopsy, various screens of organs to see if there’s other nasties inside her. All procedures carry risks but we’ve discussed it all with Jenny, DBARC and know that we will do what we can to help Lucy carry on enjoying her life. She is still herself, happy, loves her walks and food and we are all clear that despite all the problems she’s facing, she is certainly not suffering. We just need to fix things.

As everyone who loves their dogs will understand, we’re in shock, very emotional but most of all determined to do our best for Lucy to keep her happy and as fit as possible. I guess sadly the years of over breeding and neglect are taking a devastating toll on her.

I feel so sorry that Ryan, Hollie and Lucy are facing this new battle. The bond between Lucy and Ryan is one of those rare treasures that only come along once in a while; it’s really beautiful to witness and I’ve had the honour to do so on a few occasions. Non-one is left unmoved when they see them together.

As Lucy is a long-term foster dog, DBARC is picking up the bills for her treatment – and have not hesitated to do so. They’re making good on the commitment they made the second they agreed to take Lucy into safety when the abusive industry she’d been confined to no longer had need of her innocent body. Not turning their back on Lucy was an honourable act of compassion that DBARC knew all along would mean significant financial demands for them. It’s how rescue work should be done in my view, but it can only be so with the help of supporters.

And right now that help is really needed, as Lucy is just one of many animals in their care who require immediate, expensive help. Rescue work is an endless cycle of demands and emergencies and it never gets easier to know how endless it all is.

Some may question whether spending money on Lucy, and others like her is the right decision. But, when we know that dogs have absolutely zero choice in what happens to them and are reliant on humans doing the right thing should we really question? Lucy has been failed miserably for the majority of her life on earth and now, as she’s finally enjoying a great and normal life, I cannot think of a more valid way to spend money than to rectify the terrible years of injustice inflicted on her. And, with hope, luck and excellent treatment, help her continue to enjoy her happiness for a good while longer.

Few owners who have the choice to insure their pets would hesitate to take the treatment path proposed for Lucy now, so I can see no reason that it should not be available to Lucy just because a rescue is financing it. I hope you’ll agree and see your way to making a donation today to support DBARC with Lucy’s care. The bills are mounting and any help we can all give is really needed now.

To make a donation (even the smallest amount will help) please click on this link:

Lucy Pug’s Appeal