Terri and Gareth's plea amid Chase's desperate fight for survival

A distraught Oldham family have set up a JustGiving page in a bid to raise thousands of pounds towards treatment of their loving dog Chase’s spiralling veterinary costs.

Chase is a three-year-old French bulldog who lives in Failsworth with Gareth and Terri Higgins, and their three children, McKenzie, Harleigh and Harrison.

Staffordshire bull terrier Oreo also lives at the family home, and they are best friends.

Terri told the Chronicle: “During the recent hot weather Chase kept cool by sharing the children’s paddling pool (not Oreo though, as he is scared of water).

“Little did we know that keeping cool and jumping in and out of the pool would cause terrible damage to Chase’s spine.

“He started off limping on his right leg, and by the next day his back legs were paralysed and he could only drag himself about.

“As it was weekend the only vet appointment we could get was 60 miles away.

“We got terrible news. Chase had spinal damage, and we were told to take him to a specialist animal hospital another 30 miles away.

“He was given analgesia, iv fluids and a catheter to make him more comfortable.

“We were told it could be a slipped disc or meningitis, so a blood test was taken.

“We had to leave Chase all alone and in a strange environment - we were heartbroken.

“An MRI scan was undertaken, and the results were devastating.

“Chase had two slipped discs which were causing bleeding on the spine.

“It was also found he had only got six vertebrae instead of seven.

“He needed immediate emergency life-saving surgery.

“Waiting for news was unbearable. We were all so upset.

“Within a hour we received a telephone call to say Chase had a reaction to the anaesthetic and he almost died.

“The operation had to be aborted until they stabilised him.

“They finally got him stabilised and are meeting with other specialists to come up with a new anaesthetic plan.

“He now has to be very closely monitored for any deterioration for 24 hours and then they will try to operate again

“We are missing our boy so much, his partner in crime is constantly searching for him - he won't eat or rest, doesn't even want to go for walks.”

As if worrying about Chase wasn’t enough, the family are also waiting for eldest brother McKenzie, who is 15, to undergo surgery for a hip replacement.

He suffers from Perthes disease which has left him wheelchair-bound.

Chase sometimes sleeps with him at night and gives McKenzie love and comfort.

Terri added: “As parents of our children and our dogs, we are absolutely distraught with what has happened.

“It is so difficult to comfort our children and Oreo.

“We are absolutely beside ourselves with worry.

“The added burden of McKenzie’s nine-hour surgery praying on our minds is making this terrible time worse.

“Our two younger children Harleigh and Harrison are inconsolable and need lots of cuddles and reassurance

“We both work but don’t earn very much.

“We are very proud people, but don’t know how we are going to fund Chase’s treatment.

“We were told it could cost between £4,000 and £8,000, but now with the complications it could be much more.”

If you’re in a position to help with the veterinary costs for Chase’s treatment, click on the JustGiving page to donate here

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