A rescue dog who was close to death has signed the adoption forms for his new forever family, after recovering from a terrible illness that almost took his life.
Cane Corso Jasper is finally healthy and happy, and has been described as "one in a million" by Kymm White, founder of South East Dog Rescue (SEDR).
The 15-month-old dog has spent the last six months battling for a diagnosis, which totalled more than £14,000 in vet bills.
Jasper's online supporters rallied around him and helped to fund his miraculous road to recovery.
Once an "extremely underweight" and "weak" puppy, Jasper is now a "crazy" dog that loves running around.
Kymm is over the moon that he has found a loving home, and says "there will always be another Jasper needing our help".
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When Jasper arrived at the Kent dog rescue in June 2021, he was suffering with chronic diarrhoea and was incredibly underweight.
Just one year old, he’d already had two homes that were both unable to afford his veterinary treatment.
Kymm took Jasper under her wing despite his life “hanging in the balance”.
She took Jasper to visit a vet, who struggled to diagnose the dog's illness.
He was hospitalised multiple times while his body continued to waste away.
"There were several times the vets said there was nothing more they could do," Kymm explained.
Kymm had to quarantine Jasper away from the 60 other dogs at SEDR.
She spent "every waking moment" by his side.
There were times Jasper was so weak, he could barely eat.
“I was afraid to fall asleep in case he hadn’t made it through the night,” Kymm said.
“I questioned if we were doing the right thing putting him through more tests and treatment when he was only getting worse.
“But in my heart, I just knew we couldn’t give up on him.”
After weeks spent in isolation cooped up indoors, Kymm decided it was time to "prioritise his mental health" and find a change of scenery for Jasper.
She drove to the closest lake and carried him to the grass, wrapped in a blanket.
“I sat with him and cuddled and cried, and told him that he had to keep fighting. That we weren’t ready to say goodbye to him,” Kymm said.
“It wasn’t goodbye, but I knew if he didn’t survive, if he couldn’t keep fighting, then we would always have that moment.”
The vets referred Jasper to the Royal Veterinary College for further tests and treatment, and after months of waiting, he finally received a diagnosis.
Jasper had an aggressive form of E. coli, called granulomatous colitis.
“It was so rare for a Cane Corso to have granulomatous colitis that no vets suspected it,” Kymm explained.
“Luckily, treatment was actually very simple once he had been diagnosed.”
Jasper went on a course of antibiotics and was advised an hypoallergenic diet.
His vet care cost more than £14,000 in total, which SEDR supporters helped to fund.
As Jasper turned a corner, a couple reached out to Kymm and offered to adopt him.
They had previously worked with SEDR as foster carers, and had a dog of their own, staffy Rosie.
On January 16, Jasper signed his adoption papers for his forever family.
“He is ready to move on and be with a family who will love and adore him as much as we do, and who will give him all the adventure and life that I can’t,” Kymm said.
“Because, unfortunately, there will always be another Jasper needing our help.”
Before Jasper left the rescue centre, Kymm took him back to the exact same spot on the lake.
It was a very monumental moment for the pair of them.
“It was where our journey ended, but in the very best way,” Kymm said.
Thankfully, Kymm still gets to see Jasper often and looks after him when his adopted parents are on holiday.
Kymm describes Jasper as “the sweetest soul ever” and said he gives “the most excitable cuddles you could ever receive”.
Now, Jasper spends his days “running around like crazy” with his sister Rosie, and is very much “a puppy in a grown-up body”.
He has finished his antibiotics and will remain on a hypoallergenic diet for the rest of his life.
