When ten-year-old Jack Russell Terrier Bruno was brought into Battersea Brands Hatch in Kent, he was suffering with a perineal hernia, which caused problems with his digestive system and meant it was difficult for him to go to the toilet properly. The surgery would have cost the animal charity around £2,000 to carry out, which would have been a drain on the charity’s resources during these difficult economic times.

The Home contacted LVS who agreed to carry out the costly surgery that Bruno required. LVS also took the opportunity to demonstrate this procedure to undergraduate veterinary students at the University’s School of Veterinary Sciences whilst surgeons carried it out.

Peter Delisser, Senior Clinical Training Scholar in Small Animal Surgery at the University’s School of Veterinary Sciences, who operated on Bruno, said: “We were so happy to help such a lovely dog and make a big difference to his life. We also clearly benefited as our undergraduate and postgraduate students were able to learn by observing this surgery. We are always willing to consider helping out a worthy charity by providing specialist surgical services to their canine patients.”

Not only did Vet School and LVS staff and students treat Bruno’s medical condition but he also found a new owner after final year clinical veterinary science student, Laura Soden, met and fell in love with him whilst on her small animal surgical elective. Laura will take him home when he has fully recovered from his treatment and she has finished her exams.

Laura said: “When I first met Bruno I thought what a friendly, sweet natured and happy little dog he was.  He’s so playful, incredibly affectionate and just the sort of dog I was looking for. I’m really looking forward to us enjoying an active and social life together.”

Battersea relies heavily on the generosity of the public to care for the thousands of lost, abandoned and unwanted dogs and cats that come into its care every year.

Shaun Opperman, Battersea’s Veterinary Director, said: “We’re so grateful to the University of Bristol’s Langford Veterinary Services for stepping in and helping Bruno to recover from his ordeal. Battersea does have an on-site clinic team which carries out around 14 operations every day but sometimes our limited resources mean that we turn to our partners in the veterinary field to make sure the animals get all that they need. It also couldn’t be a happier ending that this also helped Bruno to find a new owner to spend his twilight years with.”