Legacy of love in memory of Max will help save lives of poorly pets

Legacy of love in memory of Max will help save lives of poorly pets

A NORTH East couple have donated three hundred pounds worth of life-saving equipment to help seriously ill pets at the Newcastle veterinary hospital that treated their beloved dog.

Dorothy and Jim Fagan have donated an oxygen tent to Westway Veterinary Group’s main hospital in Newcastle in memory of their 12-year-old Shih Tzu Max, who passed away after a long fight with a number of ailments.

The donation is a thank you to the veterinary group for their expert care and treatment provided to Max, who was a client at their Sunderland branch for more than five years.

During his lifetime, Max suffered from several complications, including Cushing’s disease and sight problems, and received health care at their surgery in Hylton Road, Sunderland.

In the final stages of his life, Max was brought in to Westway’s emergency hospital on West Road, Newcastle, with a large abscess on his neck. After further examination it was found he had cancer of the lungs and was struggling to breathe.

Westway Vets Clinical Director Jane Thompson, who had been Max’s vet for five years and Senior Vet Mandy Hood, provided essential treatment to help keep him comfortable in his final hours.

Jane said: “Max was treated in an oxygen tent which is used for pets who are having difficulty breathing.

“Other breathing assistance such as nasal prongs could not have been used for breeds such as a Shih Tzu, due to the short length of the nose.

“It was vital we did everything we could to keep Max comfortable and calm during his final hours and the oxygen tent was absolutely essential to this.”

Jane added: “I treated Max for several years at our Sunderland branch and he had almost become part of the team. Even throughout all of his treatments and hospital stays, he was always such a happy dog. He will be greatly missed by the team here at Westway.

“The donation of the new oxygen tent from Dorothy and Jim is going to be invaluable to the intensive care we provide at our 24-hour hospital in Newcastle, as we have lots of patients who require this type of treatment. We can’t thank them enough.”

Owners Dorothy and Jim had Max from being a puppy and have two other Shih Tzu’s Jake and Alfie, along with two cats Benny and Freddie.

Dorothy said: “Max was always a special dog, who brought a smile to everyone’s face. We are extremely grateful to the Westway team as they always did everything they could for him. They treated him as if he was one of their own, they couldn’t have helped him more.

“We would like to say a special thank you to vets Jane Thompson who Max was very fond of and Ana Maria Felix, who have provided us with excellent service over the years, and also to the support staff Liz Dewart and Sharon Wilkinson.

She added: “We wanted to give something back to the practice as a huge thank you for their hard work and expert care and we know just how vital the oxygen tent was for Max.

“We wanted to be able to carry on his memory and being able to help other pets in need with this piece of equipment is the perfect way to do that.”

For media enquiries, please contact Sarah Bosnyak, Vet Partners PR and Communications Executive, on 0191 406 0522 or email sarah.bosnyak@vetpartners.co.uk