An owner who says her dog saved her life now wants to return the favour after being diagnosed with cancer.
Effie was rescued from Spain and brought over to the UK back in March 2017 as her previous owner fell sick.
Since then she has been a well-loved family pet to Maya Gilbert and her partner Mark Delaney who now live in Toxteth.
Maya explained that the moment she saw the now eight-year-old she felt that they were meant to be together and has been thankful for her ever since.
At the time the 27-year-old was going through personal trauma which she had blocked out for many years.
She told TeamDogs : "Eventually, this led to a severe decline in my mental health and during December of 2017 I suffered a breakdown. I had anxiety and depression and was experiencing suicidal thoughts.
"Effie was pivotal in helping me through this period. During my darkest moments she gave me a reason to smile, forcing me out of bed to take her out for walks and remind me there was a world outside.
"She provided me with unconditional love and affection in a time where I had lost belief that I deserved anything good.
"The road to recovery is long and never ending, and she has been my rock all the way through this. She gave me a reason to keep going when I was otherwise ready to give up."
Now, the roles have been reversed and it is Effie who needs help.
She was diagnosed with B-cell type Lymphoma, a cancer that Maya explains 'is famously difficult to treat' as vets cannot perform an operation to remove the tumours, instead they have to focus on chemotherapy for treatment.
As Maya was working, her partner, Mark took the lead in taking the Beagle for tests and follow ups. Effie then went in for a biopsy and the couple waited an agonising week for results.
Maya said: "Finding out it was Lymphoma was like having our world ripped out from underneath us.
"We were completely devastated. We were flooded with love by all of the people closest to Effie but nothing could prevent the gut-wrenching sadness that came with the thought of losing our girl."
More affectionately known as Queen Effie, she is described as a 'strong independent woman' with a unique personality and despite the diagnosis and her age, Maya, who works in the hospitality industry still gets asked daily if she is a puppy.
Now, with a hospital specifically designed to treat dogs with cancer and one that could respond immediately to any emergency situations lined up, the only obstacle that stands in the way of Effie's recovery is funding.
Getting a diagnosis alone has eaten into half of the couple's insurance allowance for the year so they have set up a JustGiving page to explain why their 'special girl, Effie, deserves to be given a second chance.'
The couple added: "People around us have been impossibly generous and we have been speechless at the response so far, it has given us the chance to say yes to the specialist, knowing we can at least get through the first consultation and round of chemo.
"Unfortunately with veterinary fees in the UK as high as they are, especially for specialist advice and treatment - we still have a long way to go."
You can donate to Effie's recovery fund here.
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