Frankie the Labrador had never been inside a house until a few months ago. Now, at just 11 months old, he has a brand new hip, and a Thrumster street is rallying to help pay for his second.
Robyn Bignell, 71, and her husband Gerard Bignell, 67, will hold a garage sale on Saturday, 7 November, to help cover the cost of two hip replacements for their rescued pup.
Each operation costs about $13,000.
“We are absolute animal lovers and could not live with the idea that we would need to euthanise Frankie, just because of cost,” said Robyn Bignell.
Frankie’s story began with a Gumtree listing.
After saying goodbye to their 13-year-old Labrador, Earl, the couple spent months searching rescue sites. Then their granddaughter spotted an ad for six Labrador puppies, about six months old, with no papers.
The Bignells drove to meet the seller near Coolah, in western NSW, planning to bring home one male.
“However, when the 2 males were brought to us, my heart sank as I looked at these 2 very underweight, scared puppies with filth all over them, eyes half closed with conjunctivitis, and I decided to take both on the spot,” Ms Bignell said.
“As I drove away, I felt terrible leaving the 4 females behind.”
They named the boys Frankie and Mikey.
When Ms Bignell’s daughter met the pair and heard about their sisters, she drove five hours to Coolah, struck a deal with the seller, and brought all four females home to Port Macquarie. She kept one, Daisy, who also has severe hip dysplasia, and found homes for the other three.
The seller told the Bignells the pups had come from a sister who was a de-registered breeder. The couple saw several adult Labradors chained in front of an old rental farmhouse with a dirt yard, and old caravans and wire cages out the back.
Back home, a trip to Sovereign Vet Hospital at Sovereign Hills, Port Macquarie, revealed the pups were riddled with life-threatening parasites.
“The recovery from this took weeks, and the boys were very ill during this time,” Ms Bignell said.
Within weeks, Ms Bignell noticed both boys were unsteady on their back legs and “bunny-hopped” when running or climbing stairs. Frankie would often collapse mid-play.
Dr Kirrily McWilliams, owner and vet at Sovereign Vet Hospital, noticed how loose Frankie’s hips were and ordered x-rays.
“These showed just how severe the dysplasia was – reportedly one of the worst cases Kirrily and the specialist orthopaedic Vet from whom she had sought advice, had seen,” Ms Bignell said.
“Both hips were equally bad.”
Frankie found it harder and harder to walk and was in immense pain. He was put on a heavy regime of medicine.
Then came tragedy.
“Sadly, during this time, we lost our beautiful boy Mikey, who had died in my arms and had never fully recovered from the initial ill health,” Ms Bignell said.
The cause of Mikey’s death is still unknown, but it is thought to be linked to the conditions he came from.
To make matters worse, the couple had taken out pet insurance, but missed out on cover by a single day.
“The unfortunate thing was that we had taken out pet insurance once we had brought the 2 pups home but were just one day short of the waiting period once the diagnosis of Frankie’s hips was known,” she said.
Veterinary orthopaedic surgeon Dr Dan Wills, from Terrigal, has already replaced Frankie’s left hip. Dr Wills has operated on so many local pets that he calls them his “Port Macquarie Club”.
Frankie must now spend two weeks confined to a small room before he can manage a walk. His pain is being managed with a fentanyl patch and plenty of treats.
“He is currently asleep on my feet, wearing his ‘collar’,” Ms Bignell said.
“He should be fully recovered in approx. 6 weeks when, we hope he will truly know the benefit of having a working hip.”
When the second operation happens will depend on Frankie’s recovery, and on the couple’s finances.
About four years ago, after a bad fall, Mr Bignell was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and CLL, a form of leukaemia. He also had a tumour removed from his kidney. The couple closed their consulting business to focus on his health.
Last year, they learned the disease was in remission.
But retiring years earlier than planned has left them relying on their savings.
“We are using our savings to pay for the operations, but as we are now retired, we are concerned about what this could mean for us in the future,” Ms Bignell said.
A GoFundMe page for Frankie has raised almost $1,000 so far.
A neighbour told Ms Bignell about the Garage Sale Trail, which is helping promote the event.
“They are an incredible organisation – the support, advice, knowledge, and FREE advertising for these events,” she said.
Several neighbours have already donated to Frankie’s GoFundMe. Ms Bignell has invited them to join in, not to raise more money, but to bring the street together. Ten households will have stalls on the day.
Bargain hunters can expect a near-new Aroma electronic drum set, designer clothing from brands including Fred Perry, Country Road, and authentic Gucci, near-new reborn dolls, romantasy books, exercise equipment, vintage, retro, and contemporary homewares and artworks, and a deep blue velvet lounge chair.
If rain forces a change of plans, updates will be posted on social media. Another Garage Sale Trail day on Saturday, 14 November, could be a back-up date.
The details:
- When: Saturday, 7 November, 8am to 2pm
- Where: Corner of Bestglenn Place and Strathallan Terrace, Thrumster
Ms Bignell hopes Frankie’s story will make people think twice about where their next pet comes from.
“One thing I would really encourage people who might be looking to have a pet in their lives is to consider rescuing first,” she said.
She urged anyone who sees very unwell dogs being sold or given away to contact the seller or the RSPCA.
Donations to Frankie’s surgery can be made at https://gofund.me/f06fa6f7e
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