19 May 2012: Sadly Pongo has had to be put to sleep :( The pain in his shoulder had got too bad and there was nothing further the vet could do for him. Our thoughts and thanks are with Pongo’s wonderful foster family, who took such great care of him for us. Sleep tight, Pongo.

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Hi, I'm Pongo! I'm a 10 year old Labrador cross Collie boy, who recently came into the care of Oldies Club, a UK dog rescue charity that rescues and rehomes older dogs, when my previous owner became too ill to care for me.

Sadly, upon arrival in Oldies Club care, it was apparent that I had a large, hard lump on my shoulder. My previous carers advised that the lump had only appeared within a few days, but the charity was very concerned and arranged for me to be seen by a vet as a matter of urgency.

I had an x-ray and biopsy and it was not good news - the vet said the tumour on my shoulder was firmly attached and goes right into my shoulder blade.

One option was for radical surgery to amputate my leg, plus reconstructive surgery on my chest and shoulder. However, given my age and the fact that my back legs are quite weak, the vet and Oldies Club agreed that this was not appropriate for me.

Oldies Club is awaiting the results of the biopsy, but has decided to make me a sponsor dog. This means I will remain in Oldies Club care permanently, as a foster dog, with the charity covering my vet bills for the rest of my life. My lovely foster home has very kindly agreed to take care of me and I know I will receive all the veterinary care and TLC that I need.

This page will be updated with details of any increase in veterinary costs. If you are able to make a donation towards my vet bills, I'd be very grateful. Please share the link with your friends too, in case they would like to help.

Please note that should Oldies Club supporters be generous enough to donate more than is needed for my vet bill, any excess money will be directed to the charity’s general fund and used to help other older dogs in its care.

Thank you, Pongo xxx

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