A dedicated dog owner from Taynuilt whose 14-year-old blind springer spaniel needs an urgent operation to remove an eye has thanked work colleagues for raising the funds needed.
Vets told Naomi Thomas that her hunting dog, Cae, was suffering pain from glaucoma in his right eye.
He has been registered as blind from the age of one, but was still a busy working dog until two years ago.
Naomi turned to work colleagues at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) for help, organising a cake sale in the staff café.
Cae will have the operation thanks to SAMS staff
The sale raised a whopping £1,300 in one afternoon as staff “wolfed” down some tasty treats and “dug” deep to help Cae.
His operation is now scheduled for the end of this month.
Naomi said: “I thought I’d maybe be able to raise a few hundred pounds towards the operation because the SAMS staff love a cake sale.
“It turns out they love dogs just as much!
“I was absolutely speechless when I counted the final amount – I cannot thank everyone enough for their kind donations.”
Cae was born with a genetic disease in his eye that left him blind from the age of one.
But the sprightly spaniel didn’t let that stop him and was a working dog until two years ago, when Naomi retired him.
Naomi, an algae scientist at SAMS, said: “Cae injured his eye earlier this year and since then the pressure has increased and caused glaucoma.
“We had drops to treat the pain, but these were proving ineffective.
“He is a very stoic dog, but with the advice of the vet we’ve decided the kindest thing to do is remove the eye and relieve him of the pain and pressure.
“Hopefully after that, he’ll be a happy springer again.”
Naomi has donated 10% of the money raised—and some cake—to Fiona’s Ark, a Barcaldine-based charity that helps to rehome local dogs, cats and other animals.
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