Shropshire family's crowdfunding plea to help get Dolly the pug vital medical care
A Shropshire family who opened their home and their hearts to a dog that could no longer be looked after by its previous owners are appealing to the public for fundraising help after she fell seriously ill.
Nathan and Kelly Rowden from Minsterley, near Shrewsbury, welcomed a seemingly happy-go-lucky one-year-old pug, named Dolly, after her previous owner needed to give her up following the lifting of restrictions from the first coronavirus lockdown.
“We already have one dog, and had enough time and room to offer Dolly a new, caring home,” said Mr Rowden, 32, who works for Hope House Children’s Hospice.
“Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that Dolly had a health issue and she ended up collapsing one afternoon and we had to rush her into the vets.”
Shortly after being brought to her new home Dolly started to appear weak and unable to stand up or open her eyes.
“It was quite scary to see her in this way so we contacted the vet straight away, and she was taken in overnight to be treated,” said Mr Rowden.
Dolly was released and given medication, and in the following weeks had to be taken back to the vets for more tests to check for other potential conditions. She is also continuing to have the episodes which leave her weak and worn out.
Neurologist
“It is a really unfortunate set of circumstances and Dolly’s condition is not covered by insurance,” said Mr Rowden, whose wife Kelly works at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
“As she is only young we really want to give her the chance to have a long, happy life, and we have been told that if she gets the correct care she can.
“She needs to see a specialist neurologist and have an MRI scan to more accurately identify the problem, which is extremely expensive without insurance, so we decided to see if we could help raise the money through crowdfunding.”
The couple set up a GoFundMe page to try to help raise the funds to get Dolly the treatment she needs, and raised nearly £800 in its first day.
“We are so humbled and grateful to everyone who has donated so far, it will all go towards giving this little pug the best life she can possibly have,” said Mr Rowden.
To support the effort to fund Dolly’s treatment, visit gofundme.com/help-dolly-the-pug-to-get-life-saving-treatment.
