A service dog who helped his owner overcome his severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is now facing his own huge battle.
Diggery, who was fostered by Kevin Nordby in 2005, was recently diagnosed with lymphoma in his liver, spleen and possibly his brain stem.
Despite this bleak outlook, vets have assured his owners that if he undergoes treatment for the disease there is a high chance of prolonging Diggery’s life.
That course of action could prove very costly, however, with estimates ranging between £8,000 and £14,500, and Diggery’s plight has left Kevin and his wife Stephanie – who recently moved to St Andrews from America – with no choice but to appeal for help.
In order to fund the extensive treatment Diggery needs, the couple have launched a GoFundMe crowdfunding drive in the hope that not only will they raise enough money to afford the expensive veterinary care, but that Diggery’s story will raise awareness of the importance of service dogs in general.
“There is no doubt in my mind that my husband is alive because Diggery was there to help him during the darkest periods of his depression, and we owe him so much for what he has done for our family,” explained Stephanie.
“Diggery’s quality of life has been of utmost importance for us; we don’t want him to suffer even though we will miss him terribly whenever it is time for him to leave this world.
“However, our excellent veterinarians at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies assure us that Diggery could still have years left in him that he can enjoy, as treatment for canine lymphoma would not be disruptive or painful to him.
“While we cannot be certain he will recover if treated, there is a good chance he will and live a longer, happy and fulfilled life if we continue his treatment.
“Given all that Diggery has done for us and the way he has saved our lives, we feel that we owe him a chance at recovery so long as he does not suffer along the way.”
When Kevin first began fostering Diggery he was suffering from PTSD due to the physical and emotional abuse he was subjected to as a child.
Diggery, who is a Beagle-Jack Russell cross, also showed signs of abuse and the pair were there to comfort each other, with Diggery pulling Kevin through some of the darkest periods in his life.
Diggery is also credited with helping Kevin’s wife Stephanie who had previously been diagnosed with PTSD, and eventually the couple began training him as a service dog.
Both Kevin and Stephanie, who moved from the States to continue their education in St Andrews, have experienced the positive effects that service dogs can have on those suffering with psychiatric disabilities, and they hope that by sharing their story they can bring to light the importance of such animals.
Stephanie added that she hopes Diggery’s story will help to create a change in the attitude towards psychiatric assistance dogs in the UK.
“The UK is really behind the times when it comes to this and they don’t seem to recognise that people actually need service dogs, as there are many places people can struggle to go without their dog,” she concluded.
Anyone who wishes to donate to help Diggery can do so at
https://www.gofundme.com/donatetodiggerydog
.