Amid a huge crisis in Wales' vet industry, a man from Newport has been left with a £2,000 vet bill for a surgery that will save his 'best friends' life.

David Cleave, from Newport, has a dog called Roxy, who he describes as being his 'best friend.'

Roxy has a huge cancerous mass on her belly and multiple other life-threatening masses all over her body, and so she needs an operation urgently to remove them.

So far David has had spend thousands of pounds in vet bills for appointments, scans and treatment and has been 'left with no choice' other than to ask the public for help.

(Image: David Cleave) "I am embarrassed to be asking for money but I don't want to lose my dog," said David.

"About seven years ago I was in a bad way and if it wasn't for my dog I could have killed myself.

"As she has saved my life, please help me save hers. She is all I have and this operation will save her."

The operation Roxy needs will cost around £2,170 – and he says it is only that is a lower price because he qualifies for Roxy to be treated by an animal charity.

Veterinary bills have risen by an average of 60 per cent over the past decade according to the Office for National Statistics, leaving others like David struggling to afford to care for their animals.

David, who said he can’t afford pet insurance, initially went to a veterinary practice in Newport which is owned by Independent Vetcare Ltd, a vets owned by multi-billion-pound company IVC Evidensia.

David explained the prices he’d been quoted were nowhere near what he could ever be able to afford.

That led him to the charities the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) and the Animal Trust in Shrewsbury.

The PDSA is a charity where pet owners can go if they're struggling financially.

A spokesperson for the PDSA said an increasing demand for its services has placed a huge strain on their organisation.

David said the price quoted by the Animal Trust for Roxy’s care was also out of his price range but had actually been significantly lower in comparison.

(Image: David Cleave) Roxy's GoFundMe has raised over £2500 so far. If you wish to contribute you can do so here.

It is estimated that 60% of practices in the UK are owned by six companies: Independent Vetcare Ltd, Pets at Home, VetPartners, CVS Group, Linnaeus, and Medivet. 

Two of these companies own every veterinary practice across Newport.

Caroline Allen, chief veterinary officer at RSPCA Cymru, said a survey found more than half of Welsh pet owners were worried about being able to afford vet bills.

Senior politicians have debated the issue in the Senedd and approved plans for an inquiry to examine how corporate influence has impacted the country's veterinary services.