A couple who lost their dog to a suspected deadly disease hope to raise £10,000 for a UK charity dedicated to finding a cure and raising awareness of key symptoms.

Shaun Reynolds and Lilly McCarthy, from Lambourn, said goodbye to four-year-old female whippet Willow following her fight against suspected Alabama Rot. 

Only 318 cases of the disease have been identified in the UK – there is no cure and it has a 10 per cent survival rate.

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Following 10 days of intensive treatment at Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists near Winchester, Willow was one of the lucky ones to be discharged.

But 48 hours after returning home, her condition suddenly worsened and she was readmitted.

Willow, who had won whippet races in Andover and Gloucester, lost her fight and died peacefully on March 5.

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Devastated but determined to establish a legacy for their beloved friend, Shaun – who works for Oxford-based PR agency Fortitude Communications – and Lilly are planning a series of fundraising events in aid of the Alabama Rot Research Fund.

The charity funds research for prevention and treatment strategies while building the public’s awareness of the condition which first arrived in the UK in 2012 and damages blood vessels in the skin and kidneys, which in most cases leads to organ failure.

Over £3,650 has already been raised, with Mr Reynolds describing Willow as the most loving, kind, gentle, intelligent and focused whippet he could wish to own.

“We’re completely devastated to lose Willow so young – particularly to such a rare and cruel disease,” he said.

“She adored her racing, her morning walks and evening adventures, crashing out in our bed and her brother Whisper who is equally as lost without Willow as we are.

“It felt like the whole world was behind Willow during her treatment as we posted daily updates to keep our friends, family and villagers informed.

Oxford Mail: Shaun Reynolds with Willow and Whisper“It has been the hardest time of our lives. Our dogs have always been our priority and come before anything else and now we hope to create a lasting legacy for Willow by helping to form a better outlook for dogs infected by Alabama Rot in the future.”

Dogs infected by Alabama Rot have typically been walked in wet, muddy, woodland areas before falling ill with almost all cases occurring between November and May.

Mr Reynolds believes Willow contracted the disease after walking in woodland in Lambourn village in Berkshire.

The only public advice to prevent infection is washing off all mud on dogs following a walk.

Mr Reynolds described Willow’s first symptom as an unexplained limp, which developed into a skin sore and then sickness and lethargic behaviour.

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“We knew everything there was to know about Alabama Rot and did everything to prevent it, despite it being so rare, before Willow fell ill,” he said.

“We even raised it as a concern with our local vet on day one and continued to do so on three follow-up visits.

“Only until Willow’s key kidney values hit critical levels was action taken, and we rushed her straight to Anderson Moores whose team were beyond outstanding.

Oxford Mail: Willow and Whisper“It has surprised us how few people are aware of Alabama Rot, and we believe every dog owner should be educated on how to prevent infection. It wasn’t enough to save our Willow, but it could save another life and we’d be truly grateful to anyone who supports our cause.”

Mr Reynolds said vets still waiting for test results had told him they were "99 per cent certain" it was Alabama Rot.

The first fundraising event will take place at Oxford Stadium on Saturday night where Willow’s brother – Whisper – will parade ahead of racing with a bucket collection taking place all evening.

Those wishing to donate online can do so by clicking here.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

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