A fun-loving dog who “wasn’t expected to reach Christmas” after a devastating diagnosis two years ago is defying expectations as he heads to the grand finals in a national agility contest.
Flat-coated retriever Ocean, four, from Runcorn, faced what was an uncertain future when vets found he was suffering from a tricuspid valve dysplasia with Ebstein anomaly - a rare congenital heart disease. His owner Joanne Sanderson, 39, said Ocean was referred to a specialist who told her: “You’ll be lucky if he makes it to Christmas.”
Joanne said that far from succumbing to his condition, Ocean has thrived and lives such a “fit” and “active” life that it’s helped to avert disaster. She said Ocean is like a “clown” and loves to lark around, and that playfulness has been channelled into agility sessions at which he’s excelled - even earning a place in the Dogeria Performance Challenge contest at the UKA grand finals.
