High Peak couple race to find £10,000 for St Berdoodle pup's lifesaving surgery

Emmie Barton and Thomas Crelling’s gentle giant dog Basil - a nine-month-old cross between at St Bernard and a poodle weighing 37 kgs - was diagnosed with angular limb deformity in both front legs in November.

The condition causes bones to bend and twist - painfully outwards in Basil’s case and forcing him to walk bow-legged.

Without early treatment the condition leads to early-onset arthritis however goliath Basil’s weight will cause the animal excruciating pain - meaning he may have to be put down within months.

Distraught Emmie and Thomas, of Chinley, now have to pay for expensive surgery to correct the deformity involving a 3D leg scan and the insertion of 3D-printed implants.

However the lifesaving operation will only be successful if completed by the time Basil is 10 months old - before his skeleton is fully-matured.

Basil’s prognosis comes after the couple lost two other dogs this year.

Giant mixed-breed Buddy - a German Shepherd, Labrador and flat-coat retriever cross - died of an osteosarcoma aged just five in May after being diagnosed four months earlier.

And eight-year-old flat-coat Wilson died of hemangiosarcoma in August.

Frantic Emmie, who has launched an online appeal to fund Basil’s surgery, said: “I’m pretty stressed because watching Buddy decline was mentally-draining.

“We like to get out for a walk with Basil but we just can’t do that at the moment - If we don't try and do something for him we wouldn’t be able to think about that.

“He has a heart of gold and not a bad bone in his body - he’s a lovely dog and we couldn’t bear to lose him.”

To help raise awareness of Basil’s plight Emmie created a TikTok account for the lovable hound.

Amazingly the cute canine gathered over 14,000 followers in just five days.

Devoted owners Emmie and Thomas had insured their beloved mutt however the fund was exhausted by an initial ulnar osteotomy operation to try and correct Basil’s forearm bone.

You can make a donation to help Basil walk at https://www.gofundme.com/f/basils-new-legs.

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