An ill rescue puppy has visited Twickenham Fire and Hammersmith Police Stations over the past two weeks to tick-off a bucket list goal.
Opie, an 18-week-old Labrador, was rescued by the RSPCA from a puppy farm in East Sussex earlier this year and has subsequently been diagnosed with Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia – which means he may never reach adulthood.
Julie Parson, who was one of the inspectors on the scene at the puppy farm and is now fostering Opie, decided to make him a bucket-list with one of the goals being to ride in a police car and a fire engine.
She said: “It was about keeping us focussed, and making the most of the time we’ve got.”
Opie was hosted at the fire station by members of Twickenham’s Green Watch, which included Julie’s son Rob.
“I really wanted to involve my children in his bucket list. He’s very much become a family pet,” Julie added.
Opie also got the opportunity to visit Hammersmith Police Station last week, where he visited the police horses and even worked out how to turn on the siren in the police car.
Julie said: “He was a rubbish police dog but he did find all the sandwiches in peoples’ handbags under the desk.”
Opie has now achieved the majority of the goals on his bucket list, which also included entering a dog show and trying doggy ice cream.
Julie explained that when Opie was first diagnosed they didn’t think he’d survive past the end of August.
Now, she hopes she will be able to add some extra goals to his list, such as wearing a poppy for Remembrance Day and maybe even celebrating his first Christmas.
A new operation is available which could help Opie, but Julie explained that it is extremely expensive and that they still need to weigh up whether it would be the right option for him.
“What I need is someone with a big heart and a very large wallet,” she said.
“But at the moment it’s just a matter of keeping Opie as comfortable as possible.”
RSPCA Brighton is raising money to help fund Opie’s care for the future: https://rspcabrighton.enthuse.com/opiesbucketlist#!/
