Ex-racing greyhound's retirement could be cut short due to life threatening illness

Simone Linci and George out for a walk in the Medows before the shock vet visit.

An ex-racing greyhound’s retirement could be cut short after his new owner was landed with a £6000 vet bill he can not afford.

Simone Linci, originally from Tivoli Terme in Italy, was delighted to bring George, a six-year-old greyhound, home with him to Dalry last month.

However, life with his new pet soon turned sour when the lovable pooch developed ‘agonising pain’ in his hips only three days after adoption.

George was able to take his first steps on Monday morning (August 31, 2020)

Concerned, the PhD student rushed George to the hospital and was terrified to find out he had a potentially fatal infection in his spine.

He said: “George was in fine condition when I got him, but just a couple of days later, he developed a really bad pain in his hip. The vet referred him to the Hospital for Small Animals for a CT scan, and they found out he’s suffering from an infection in the spine.

“I was deeply saddened to see him suffering, and then it got even worse after the vet told me how bad his condition was. I started to feel scared because I was afraid of not being ready to face the whole ordeal. Having the responsibility of his life, knowing the pain and fear he’s experiencing, and of course the costs.”

George is currently in ICU at the Royal Dick Veterinary Hospital in Edinburgh on painkillers and broad-spectrum antibiotics until the medical team can determine which bacterium has caused the infection.

While Simone insured George before adopting him because the illness developed within the first 14 days of insurance the medical treatment will not be covered.

Now facing a £6,000 vet bill to save the sick dog’s life the university student has set up a Go Fund Me Page to help with the “staggering costs”.

Shocked to have raised over £3000 in under a week the new pet owner said he has “new hope” for George.

He said: “I’m genuinely speechless. I would have never imagined reaching these numbers. I did it out of pure desperation, but it’s now giving even more reasons to go on.”

He added: “These people are amazing, they donated their money to somebody completely unknown to them, out of pure generosity for the cause.”

George’s condition is slowly improving and the vet is hopeful he will make a full recovery and be able to enjoy a healthy retirement with Simone.

On Monday George was able to stand on his legs for the first time since diagnosis, however he remains on heavy painkillers and in ICU receiving constant care.

Simone said: “Knocking on wood, he seems to be slowly improving. As of tomorrow, they are moving him to the ICU. The antibiotics seem to be working and he can stand up by himself. This means we might have him back by the end of this week if everything keeps going smoothly.

“I’ll have to restrict his movements to only very short walks for at least two months. The whole experience may have also made him more fearful of human contact, and that’s something I’ll have to work on.”

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