Eastney dog's crippling genetic disease sees owners launch campaign to save him

Three-year-old springerdoodle Jake will eventually be unable to walk after tests confirmed he had hip dysplasia in both of his back legs - requiring a full hip replacement on both sides.

It has left owners Gavin Riley and Jonathan Swatton - who describe ‘character’ Jake as ‘like a son’ - facing a huge surgery bill of about £15,000, with the Eastney couple’s insurance only covering £1,000.

Rescue dog Jake, who has lived with the pair since he was nine weeks old, was saved after his mum fled an illegal breeding farm in Winchester while heavily pregnant before she was found by a dog warden team in Gosport. The breeding farm was later shut down by the RSPCA.

Jonathan, 27, said: ‘Jake is not just a dog, he is a member of our family and means the world to us.

‘We want to give him back the life that he loves; visiting the beach, exploring the forest, chasing squirrels, playing with all his friends and generally being able to do everything that other dogs can do - pain free.’

Gavin, 35, said they only first noticed problems a few weeks ago before Jake’s condition worsened. ‘We noticed he would walk in a funny way on his back legs after he had exerted himself,’ he said.

‘Most of the time it was fine and would only present itself if he had been running particularly hard after a ball, or playing rough with some of his friends.

‘Recently though we noticed his energy levels had reduced and rather than being the bouncy playful puppy we always knew, he was a lot more lethargic.’

Tests confirmed the disease, from which some of Jake’s siblings are also thought to suffer, due to ‘overbreeding’ at the illegal farm.

Despite the devastating news, Gavin and Jonathan are determined to raise the money and get Jake, who suffers with separation anxiety after his troubled upbringing, back on his paws - despite mammoth costs to operate along with aftercare and medication.

Gavin said: ‘Jake is an incredibly energetic dog and doesn’t understand why he can’t play and why we can only take him out for short walks now.

‘He is not allowed to run or jump and has to stay on a lead on walks.

‘We are optimistic we can reach our total with the Go Fund Me campaign. We are overwhelmed by so many people we don’t even know donating and sharing.

‘It just depends how quickly we can get to the total because the longer it takes the more pain Jake is in and the worse his condition.

‘The vet said it was one of the worst cases they had seen for a dog of his age. Without treatment Jake's condition will continue to deteriorate, ending with him losing the ability to walk completely.’

To donate go to: uk.gofundme.com/f/help-jake-to-run-and-play-again

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