Injured dog makes it home for Christmas

Stuart Harper, who lives with his wife Penny in Haselbech, is paralysed in the lower half of his body and relies on his whippet Jasper for company and companionship.

But in October Jasper suffered a horrific injury to the skin on his back.

Jasper suffered the injury when he picked up a scent in the bottom of the Harper’s garden.

He got caught up in barbed wire hidden in undergrowth and bushes close by and suffered severe lacerations to the skin on his back.

Alerted by her other dogs, Mrs Harper found Jasper lying injured and took him straight to Town and Country Vets in Market Harborough.

Because of the size of the wound, the treatment regime and has been long and complex to manage. Jasper had to be hospitalised and it took several weeks for the wound to close.

Mrs Harper said: “All three of my dogs ran to the bottom of the garden on that awful day but only two of them came back and one of them was obviously very agitated. I picked up my torch and found Jasper straightaway. He was in a terrible state.

“It’s been a long journey but the vets and nursing 
team have saved his life and we will always be grateful to them.”

Harriet Goulden RVN and head nurse at Town and Country Vets, explained: “When we first saw Jasper’s injury, even we were shocked.

“It was one of the largest wounds we have ever seen. To give a sense of scale, you could have fitted a large orange and apple into the torn skin. He must have been in terrible pain.

“Fortunately, looking at him now, you would hardly know that he had been so hurt – he looks absolutely brilliant and we are delighted to have played a part in nursing him back to his rightful place at Mr Harper’s side.

“Mrs Harper has been fantastic throughout and it was clear right from the outset that she would never give up on Jasper.”