A pug's breathing was so impaired that it had to be rushed to a veterinarian after it took a panic attack, struggled for oxygen and turned blue.
Peggy the pug, who had previously been saved from a dog pound in the city, had recently undergone nose surgery to increase her breathing capacity.
However, after her foster mum caught Covid-19, Peggy was relying on a temporary foster to take her to follow-up appointments. It was on a car journey home that the terrifying ordeal took place.
Read more: Volunteers call for consideration after jet ski riders 'drench' £150k equipment
Friends of Rescue in Derry, who have started a GoFundMe for the pug, said as a team they wanted to be able to give Peggy a life 'without gasping for every breath'.
The decision will mean that Peggy will now need treatment at Earlswood Vets in Belfast with a cost of £3,000 required to carry out the treatment she requires - which includes an initial consultation and potential further surgery.
Writing online, a spokesperson for Friends of Rescue said: "Our wee Peggy recovered well from her nose surgery, there was an improvement with her breathing so we were, if possible, trying to avoid a referral to Earlswood. But she [recently] took a very dangerous turn.
"Peggy and her temporary foster, her normal foster had covid and she needed to attend veterinary appointments, were heading back to her foster, 10 minutes away, and she took some kind of panic attack. She couldn’t breathe, fell over and turned blue.
"She hadn’t a breath and it was extremely scary for her and her temporary foster. She got her to the vets within minutes and they worked on resuscitating her," they added.
"We thought we had lost her. When our vets called us we could actually hear Peggy’s distress over the phone
"So as a team we have decided, regardless of cost, or even the chances of only slight improvement, that she deserves the opportunity to live a life without gasping for every breath.
"When she arrived with us, we knew she was bad. The amazing lady and rescue friend who saved her from the pound, and our vets, told us she was the worst brachy breed they have ever seen or heard.
"That being said, she is so full of life. She is so eager to please and live a full life. Her heart is good, her bones are good, and bar being a little curvy, she is otherwise healthy.
"We are in the process of an enrolment with ‘slimming world’ and we need to try and sort this breathing. She deserves it.
"We can’t tell you how brave and amazing she is and how much we want to fix her, even a little bit, so she can have a good quality of life."
They continued: "After a quick discussion with the team at Earlswood today, a quote of £3000 for Peggy’s surgery has been given. This is what we need to raise to help Peggy and we really hope and pray that this is something we can do for her.
"Our own vets let us work away at the invoices on our account so we can have some leeway, but Earlswood doesn’t offer that. To progress, we need to have the funds upfront.
"So we have created a GoFundMe. We need to rally around her and get her on the way to a life where such a basic thing as breathing can come easier for her."
If you would like to donate to Peggy's GoFundMe, you can do so HERE.
READ NEXT:
Derry woman who dedicated life to charity after son's plane death honoured
Mum in race to get treatment for son whose spine is bent over 35 degrees
Former Ulster rugby star unable to walk after horror motocross accident
Derry man was diagnosed with brain tumour after experiencing behaviour changes
To get the latest breaking news from Co Derry straight to your inbox, sign up to our free newsletter.
