Wakefield schoolgirl with scoliosis completes 10 mile walk in support of charity which saved her dog's life

Maisie Proctor, 10, suffers from scoliosis, a debilitating condition of the spine, which can make walking extremely painful.

But after a charity stepped in to provide life-saving treatment for her family's beloved Dalmatian, Rio, she was determined to show her support, and volunteered to undertake a sponsored 10 mile walk.

She was first made aware of the PDSA (People's Dispensary for Sick Animals) earlier this year, when they stepped in to provide life-saving surgery for Rio, who was suffering a blocked bladder.

Masie's parents were both out of work due to the pandemic, and the family were left worried about how they would meet the £1,370 cost of the treatment he required.

But the family then discovered that they were eligible for support from the PDSA.

Maisie’s mum, Leanne Proctor, 32, said: “We are so proud of Maisie and her incredible achievement. She decided to take this on herself after PDSA saved our dog’s life. She saw those long ten miles through and has raised an incredible amount to give back to PDSA for their amazing work.

“Maisie was diagnosed with scoliosis, a painful disorder which causes curvature of the spine, four years ago. She suffers with back pain on a daily basis which can make walking very uncomfortable. But she didn’t let that stop her and she carried on like a trooper.

“It’s been such a difficult year with both of us findings ourselves without a job and struggling financially – it’s something we’ve never had to face before. We went from having everything to nothing. It wasn’t long after we found ourselves out of work that Rio started acting strangely.

"He wasn’t drinking very much, constantly straining to wee and was unusually quiet and lethargic. We knew something was badly wrong.”

Two-year-old Rio was taken to the Leeds PDSA Pet Hospital, The Frederick Jennings Centre, where tests were carried out. Vets confirmed Rio had a urinary stone blocking his urethra and would need emergency surgery.

He underwent an intense and complicated operation to unblock the bladder and allow him to urinate again.

Following surgery, and once Rio was stable enough to travel, he was transferred to the Bradford PDSA Pet Hospital for intensive nursing care. He needed round-the-clock care with constant monitoring, antibiotic injections, fluid drips and regular pain relief.

In the aftermath of his treatment, Maisie, who hopes to be a Zoologist when she grows up, decided to organise a sponsored walk to show her appreciation for the team's hard work.

She completed the walk at Wintersett Reservoir in Wakefield in just under four hours.

To date, she has raised £826 for the PDSA, far in excess of her £500 goal.

PDSA Vet, Rachel Bishop, said: “Poor Rio’s urethra was completely blocked which meant that he was unable to urinate unless he underwent surgery. He required a lengthy operation, where we had to create a new opening for his urine to pass through. If this condition had been left untreated, it certainly would have been life-threatening for Rio, but thankfully he was brought to us just in time so we were able to give him the urgent treatment he desperately needed.

“After two days of intensive care at PDSA, he was stable enough to go home under strict rest for at least two weeks with pain relief and antibiotics. He’ll need regular monitoring in the future, but we’ve had follow up phone consultations to check his progress and he’s making a brilliant recovery.

"And I’d like to say a massive thank you to Maisie on behalf of PDSA – we don’t receive any government funding for our vital veterinary services, and rely on the amazing generosity of animal lovers and wonderful fundraisers like her and her family.”