Blood donor dog that has saved many canine lives now needs surgery
Norman, a large mastiff from Nanaimo that has been credited in saving the lives of at least 16 dogs with emergency blood donations, is now in need of help himself.
Norman, whose exploits were featured in a CTV News story back in 2017, needs surgery. His owner Jeff King is asking people to give back.
“He’s like my kid,” King says. “He’s like my baby. He’s my big red shadow.”
King noticed Norman limping a couple of weeks ago and took him to the vet. That’s when it was discovered that the 85-kilogram “gentle giant” had torn his cranial cruciate ligament in his left hind knee.
The injury makes the dog’s knee very unstable. It has already become very swollen and arthritic.
“When he walks, it doesn’t bend the normal way, which causes a fair mount of discomfort,” says Ken Langelier, a Veterinarian with VCA Island Animal Hospital in Nanaimo.
The four-and-a-half-year-old mastiff needs a special surgery called a tibial plateau leveling osteotomy, which will stabilize the knee.
“If surgery is not performed, it will become more arthritic and probably lead to a lot shorter life span,” adds Langelier.
“Seeing him in pain makes me want to cry,” says King. “It’s heartbreaking. I haven’t slept and worry constantly.”
The surgery cannot be done locally and Norman has to be referred to an animal hospital in Victoria or Vancouver to see a specialist who is approved by the board of certified surgeons.
The procedure will cost King around $8,500, which will include a long recovery process.
“Any help that I can get will make it a lot easier,” says King.
A GoFundMe page has been setup to help cover the cost of the surgery.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.