A dog is set to live a long and happy life after specialist vets carried out an operation and found he was cancer free.

As previously reported in the Messenger, Benji the cocker spaniel touched the hearts of people across the county when his desperate owner, Lucy Allen, from Lordswood, set up a fundraising campaign to save his life.

The 19-year-old was initially told Benji had a pancreatic tumour and would need specialist life-saving surgery.

It was first thought there were only about three vets in the country skilled enough to carry out the operation and thousands of pounds would be needed to pay for it.

The fundraising appeal raised more than £3,000 in just a few days and then two vets, Enrico Cecchetti and Laura Novensa, read about the animal’s plight and offered to carry out the operation.

Helen Wood, from DNA Vetcare, which runs Manor Veterinary Surgery in Chatham, contacted the Messenger and we put her in contact with Lucy.

Benji went into a sister branch of the surgery, Briar House in Broadstairs, to have the operation. Samples of tissues were taken and sent away for analysis.

The results have now come back and Benji has been given the all-clear.

Benji was suffering with inflammation of the tissue in his abdomen, caused by an infection and he is now at home recovering.

Lucy says her canine companion has saved her life during her battles with mental health issues and autism.

She said: “Having Benji back means a lot to me. After what the previous vets had said I was so scared that I was going to lose him.

Now Benji is back, it’s a huge relief and I can now sleep at night again.

““I can’t thank the vets enough for all of their help, especially Helen, Enrico and Laura.

“It means so much to me that they have helped him.

“They will never know how grateful I am.”