A dog owner is issuing a warning after her beloved dog narrowly escaped death when he ate a plastic tablecloth and ended up needing hours of surgery and a stint in intensive care.
Sue Penda's two-year-old Bitzer dog, named Hufflepuff after the Hogwarts House in Harry Potter, ate the synthetic cloth while she was out dealing with a horse she is fostering.
According to the Daily Record, Hufflepuff suffered four internal blockages and severe trauma to his intestines due to his antics.
But he beat the odds after undergoing four hours of major surgery in total to remove the fabric.
He spent nearly three weeks in intensive care and needed further surgeries to remove parts of his gut. He has since been given the all clear.
Despite having cover on the higher end of the insurance spectrum, the total vet bill was nearly £12,000 and Hufflepuff's insurance only covered £7,000.
It will be years before pensioner Sue is clear of the debt she has accrued.
Devastatingly, the tragedy struck not long after Sue - who lives just outside of Scorrier, near Redruth - lost three dogs to cancer.
Sue funded additional treatment for two of the dogs, using her personal savings and selling her vehicle, as their treatment also went over their individual £7,000 insurance coverage.
Donna Burgess, a friend of Sue, has set up a fundraiser trying to raise the additional £5,000 for Hufflepuff's miracle treatment, saying she's "never known [Sue] not be doing something to help somepawdy."
Donna said: "She is a responsible owner. All her animals are insured but 2021 gave her the most awful run of poor luck.
"She nursed and lost three of her dogs to cancer in less than 12 months with two of them going beyond their insurance cover and Sue funded treatment from savings and selling her vehicle. Then Hufflepuff happened.
"Hufflepuff is a little two-year-old Bitzer, fondly known as a Cockiesh*tpookie. He's a right character, boss to all the bigger dogs and has a vitality for life that is a joy to see.
"While Sue was out dealing with a horse that she is fostering, Hufflepuff thought it was a really good idea to eat some plastic tablecloth. Hufflepuff was wrong."
"A lot of people would have given up but not Sue," Donna continued.
"She never once hesitated to authorise his treatment and thanks to her and the vet's stick-to-it-iveness he has finally made a full recovery."
According to Donna, Sue will be paying the bill off for years using nothing but her state pension if she doesn't get assistance.
She said: "I would dearly love to raise as much as possible to help towards Hufflepuff's vet bill and I would be deeply grateful if you felt able to contribute.
“All monies will go directly to his veterinary cost."
