Fundraising bid to help Shrewsbury dog get pioneering treatment

Jacqueline Champion and Andrew Reeves are attempting to raise the money needed to save their beloved dog Jazz.

The 10-year-old Bichon Frise was diagnosed with prostate cancer last month and is currently undergoing chemotherapy at a vets in the town.

However, an oncology specialist at Fitzpatrick Referrals in Guildford, which was founded by TV vet Noel Fitzpatrick in 2005, has said Jazz is eligible to undergo pioneering surgery.

The clinic is currently the only place in Europe to offer the procedure which involves using beads to cut off the blood supply to the prostate.

Jacqueline said: “We noticed there was something wrong with him when he went off his food and kept needing the toilet.

“We took him to the vet and they did a scan which discovered he has a tumour. A biopsy confirmed it was cancer.

“Our vet contacted a hospital in Stoke and another in Chester but they would not touch it because they didn’t have enough experience in this type of cancer.”

Cure

After making a phone call to Fitzpatrick Referrals, Andrew made the 400-mile round trip to Guildford and was told about the new practice which could cure Jazz.

The couple are hoping to raise £2,000 toward the surgery which is set to cost up to £8,000.

We have £4,000 of insurance and are putting £2,000 of our own money to it but unfortunately that’s all we can afford,” Jacqueline said.

“This is the best treatment for him and gives him a chance of living a normal life, hopefully until about 16 or 17.”

If the surgery goes ahead, Jazz would become only the 15th dog in the world to have it, according to Jacqueline.

She added: “It’s a really interesting, experimental procedure. We have been told there will also be a doctor there alongside the vet.

“They will work together in the hope that one day maybe it could be used to treat men with prostate cancer.”

To donate visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/andrew-reeves-1