Former Olympic swimmer Hannah Miley has launched a fundraiser after her foster puppy fractured its jaw.
The world champion, from Inverurie, is seeking help after 13-week-old cocker spaniel Xiu got injured.
She is fostering the pup for eight weeks to prevent her getting too attached to its siblings until her new owner is ready to take her.
But on July 23, while in her crate, Xiu (pronounced see-you) let out a “terrifying scream” and became unable to open her jaw.
Ms Miley told The Press and Journal: “We are not 100% sure what happened, spaniel puppies run around at 100mph and it is very tricky to keep an eye on them at all times.
“We don’t know if she was playing with her toys or she had bitten a bar.
“She tried to eat a treat but she couldn’t, and spat it out. She just looked so sad.
“We have run it over in our heads so many times but we don’t know what caused it.”
Insurance policy falls through due to ‘technicalities’
Although it was a Sunday, Ms Miley and her husband Euan Duff rushed to the late-night emergency vet where Xiu got an X-ray and CT scan.
It was confirmed her jaw had been fractured on the left side.
But Ms Miley said that due to technicalities, insurance providers the Kennel Club cancelled the policy and left her to pay the emergency medical bills.
She said the reason provided was the name on the policy had been put down as the new owner, but the address was down as the breeder.
A spokeswoman for Agria who supply Kennel Club pet insurance, said: “We are very sorry to learn of this puppy’s injury.
“Unfortunately, the 5 weeks free Kennel Club Pet Insurance policy set up for this dog was invalid. The new owner is not a resident of the UK, and we do not insure pets outside of the UK.
“The overseas address would not have been accepted by our systems.”
Due to the animal now having a pre-existing condition, Ms Miley said the dog is now not eligible for any insurance coverage for the situation.
Surgery required to prevent euthanasia
Ms Miley said she took the decision to pay for the required surgery, as the only other option was euthanasia.
The decision also had to be made quickly to ensure success due to Xiu’s growing bones.
Now the 33-year-old, who achieved back-to-back gold medals in the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and 2014, and went to three Olympic Games, has asked the public to help donate towards the £4,000 leftover bill.
If you could take 5mins to checkout our fundraiser page or share it, it would be greatly appreciated!https://t.co/TrkJpOKNd1 pic.twitter.com/pu5KrspucR
— Hannah Miley (@HannahMiley89) July 27, 2023
Ms Miley has not revealed the identity of the breeder or the new owner to protect their privacy.
All three parties say they have contributed financially as much as they can already.
She previously got her pooch Poppy from the same breeder, which went on to win Scotland’s Best Dog in a BBC Scotland TV show in 2021.
Ms Miley is now focusing on nursing Xiu back to health.
Due to her jaw being wired shut, she is only able to use her tongue to eat so Ms Miley and her husband are blending kibble and tuna for her to lap up.
Since retiring two years ago, Ms Miley now works as a self-employed performance and wellbeing consultant.
Last month, she spoke to The Press and Journal about the need to invest in north-east swimming pools and the taboo of periods in sports.
Despite being a world-class swimmer, Ms Miley said she now earns a normal person’s income and will look to pay as much as she can towards Xiu’s bills.
‘Welfare of pup’ the priority
In the appeal for the public’s help, Ms Miley wrote on the GoFundMe page: “Our priority is to ensure the welfare of the pup but unfortunately we are not in a great position financially to cover absolutely everything.
“We are looking to raise some money to help cover part of the bill. This will ensure the pup can continue to heal so she can be reunited with her owner and live a long and happy life.
“Whether it’s a donation or sharing what has happened, finding out your policy is not valid after seeking emergency treatment is a tough position to be in and I know we aren’t the first or the last.
“We are not looking for money to cover all the fees but if we do raise over the amount needed we would love to be able to forward pay money to a vet so that someone in a similar situation can get some help in their time of need.”
To get involved in the fundraiser, visit the GoFundMe page.
