Stormie Millar, a 31-year-old dog walker and pet owner from Crystal Palace, is the owner of four-year-old XL Bully Envy, whom she describes as a “sweet and gentle soul”.
She has been forced to start a fundraiser after her dog was diagnosed with a life-limiting condition: cruciate ligament disease.
Cruciate ligament disease happens when a ligament in a dog’s knee (called the cranial cruciate ligament, or CCL) gets damaged or torn.
This ligament helps keep the knee stable, so if it’s injured, the dog can’t move the leg properly.
Envy was diagnosed earlier this year.
The condition is believed to be linked to an injury she suffered as a puppy, which may have caused the disease later in life.
Sadly, the knee ligaments in one of her legs have ruptured, and the other ligament is expected to fail over time.
As a result, the vet has advised specialist Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy (TPLO) surgery for Envy, which could vastly improve her quality of life.
The procedure could cost up to £10,000 to carry out on both knees.
Stormie told the News Shopper: “Without surgery, Envy will not only lose her ability to walk properly, she will live in constant pain and her quality of life will get worse and worse.”
As a result, Stormie and her partner Abbey have launched a GoFundMe to raise the vital £10,000 needed to cover the costs of Envy’s vital surgery, after the pair were unable to get Envy insured due to several pet insurance firms not covering XL Bully breeds.
Stormie said that not being able to have the security of insurance was “outrageous” and added that it has had a significant impact on Envy and the family’s life since the ban came into place.
Stormie explained: “Because Envy’s an XL Bully and she’s on the dangerous dogs list, we can’t get her insured”
“For insurance purposes I just think it’s outrageous, it’s just prejudice against the dog breed.
“With both our bullies, we followed the procedures, they’ve been spayed, they’re exempted, we keep them on a lead, they’re on a muzzle – their whole life has completely changed.”
Currently Envy’s condition is being managed with pain relief, whilst the couple work to find the remaining funds to cover the costs of the treatment alongside their own personal savings.
Stormie said: “Doing a fundraiser isn’t something I would have done.
“But we simply don’t have another option without having insurance to help cover it.”
“She’s a lovely dog, lazy, docile, but great with kids and a real family dog.
“Her life has changed a lot since the ban, she wears a muzzle when we go out, we rent a field for our dogs to play in on the weekends, but this diagnosis has really changed things for her.
“Envy has given us nothing but unconditional love, and we want to do everything we can to give her the life she deserves.”
Currently the GoFundMe has raised over £1,675 in funds, with a further £7,325 needed to cover the costs of the treatment, which is expected to be carried out within the next few weeks.
