Newport man's "nightmare" experience trying to save dog's life

David Cleave has been fighting to get the care needed for his dog, Roxy, who he calls his "best friend" as she currently has a huge cancerous mass on her belly. 

Roxy also has multiple other life-threatening masses all over her body, and so recently had to undergo an urgent operation to remove them. 

David says Roxy saved his life and is his best friend (Image: David Cleave) Mr Cleave was forced to take Roxy to a vet in Shrewsbury for the operation she required, and is now facing having to take her there again in around six weeks for the second part of the operation, if she recovers well enough from this first operation. 

He said: "The whole experience was a nightmare. We spent two hours in a taxi to get there, which wasn't much of a problem, but the journey back was a nightmare. 

"I had to taxi all the way from Shrewsbury to Newport, and I had no choice, because it had to be done, or she could have died."

According to Mr Cleave, the surgeons also found another lump in her neck, and they have decided it will need further investigation, as it is currently unknown whether this lump is also cancerous. 

Roxy had a cancerous lump on her belly which urgently needed removing (Image: David Cleave) Mr Cleave added: "She's going to need ongoing care, and it was more than 200 miles that we had to travel for the vet treatment, which wasn't nice for Roxy at all. 

"I've recently noticed some bruising coming up on the site of the operation, but I was reassured that's normal. 

"I just hope this saves her life like she has saved mine. She is all I have and this operation will save her."

David says these operations will save Roxy's life, but the experience has been a nightmare (Image: David Cleave) Amid a huge crisis in Wales' vet industry, Roxy's care has left Mr Cleave out of pocket by around £2,000 with the care received at the Animal Trust among the cheaper options. 

He had already spent "thousands of pounds" on vet treatment before these operations, and had been forced to turn to the public to help save his best friend, setting up a GoFundMe page.  

Mr Cleave had previously been quoted prices by vet practices in Newport, which were way beyond what he could afford, and he already couldn't afford pet insurance. 

The price quoted to him by the Animals Trust was £2,170, which he said is only lower because he qualified Roxy to be treated by an animal charity.

That led him to the charities the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), a charity where pet owners can go if they're struggling financially, and the Animal Trust in Shrewsbury. 

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

If you would like to donate to the GoFundMe, you can do so here.