A Canterbury dog owner fears her pet will soon die as she cannot afford to pay his vet bills - and has been banned from receiving help from an animal charity.

Ziggy, a four-year-old bull mastiff, is riddled with blisters on his belly as a result of fleas.

His owner, Mandy Waugh, from Canterbury, is afraid of losing her much-loved dog and has approached the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) for low-cost treatment.

But the 51-year-old, who lives on the Spring Lane estate, has been banned from receiving help from the charity after it claimed she was was abusive to staff.

It means she will now not be able to afford specific creams and treatment her mastiff needs.

“I have nothing so can’t afford to pay for treatment,” Ms Waugh said.

“My dog has done nothing wrong but he’s been expelled by the PDSA just because I may have kicked off. But I know I haven’t been aggressive.

“Ziggy’s being treated like a criminal and so am I.

“It’s heartbreaking to see him in this state - I’ve got to help him but I can’t do much more.

“I’d die for my dog. I'd definitely give him a kidney. If people see the state he’s in, they’ll cry.”

Ms Waugh, who has lived in Cromwell Road for 10 years, has had Ziggy since he was a seven-week-old puppy.

But now she says she cannot afford the veterinary bills.

She says she has done all she can to prevent him from catching fleas, but his condition has continued to worsen in recent weeks.

“When I’m feeling down, he makes me feel much better,” she said. “He’s here for me all of the time.

“He’s also a great social ice-breaker as people want to talk about him when they see him.

“Everyone loves Ziggy - he’s definitely one of the most popular dogs around.

“I think it’s heartless that the PDSA won’t treat him. How can they pick and choose what dog dies and what dog doesn’t?”

But the charity says that due to Ms Waugh’s alleged abusive behaviour to staff, and repeated warnings, she has been banned from receiving help for her dog.

“I’d die for my dog. I'd definitely give him a kidney..."

A PDSA spokesman said: “On very rare occasions we have to ask that pet owners do not visit the hospital in person or speak to our staff directly.

“This may be due to abuse of our staff, incidents of bad language or the person’s behaviour. It’s a step we would only take following a previous written warning.

“PDSA is here to provide veterinary treatment, prevention and education as a benefit to pets and their owners in the area.

“Our dedicated Margate vet team aim to provide a caring and professional service at all times, and our primary concern is always the pet’s wellbeing.

“Fortunately, incidents such as this are very few and far between."

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