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A couple have spent their £7,000 wedding fund on treatment to help save their poorly dog .

Maria Grace and her partner Gareth saved for more than one year but Shih Tzu Bella's health declined recently.

She is is riddled with arthritis and completely lame on her right side, reports Bristol Live .

After vets said the only options were to put the dog down or pay £8,000 for surgery, the couple decided to spend their wedding savings on the pet.

"So many people have said, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re spending that much money on a dog,'" Maria, 39, said.

"We saved about £7,000 towards it, so we were doing quite well with the savings, but that’s now been spent on Bella.

(Image: bristolpost.co.uk)

“It sounds silly to some people but Bella and her brother Len are part of our family. When I couldn’t have any more children after my daughter Charlotte, they kind of became my babies.”

Gareth and Maria, who is a teacher from Pontypridd, south Wales, have now paid £13,000 in vet fees to fight health issues which have plagued eight-year-old Bella.

Now the family admit they are under “massive strain” financially.

Maria is unable to work while she recovers from a complete hysterectomy after years of suffering from tumours and endometriosis.

They've now created a Gofundme page in a bid to raise the £8,000 required for the dog's treatment.

(Image: bristolpost.co.uk)

Maria, who is a mum, continued: “If there’s a chance here with this specialist surgery, I want to give it one last shot.

“If Bella can spend her remaining years being able to actually run and play on this planet, then I want that so much for her.

“She’s a really affectionate dog, with a lovely temperament. She loves life."

The Shih Tzu was born with weakness in her hind legs. She and Len were taken in by Maria’s family shortly after their births.

Maria continued: “The family we took her from said she was just going to be used as a breeding dog.

“They warned us she wasn’t well, but we felt sorry for her. Charlotte, who’s now 18, was born with weakness in her left side too.

“She immediately picked Bella and said, ‘Can we have her because she has a bad leg like me?’ We couldn’t just leave her there.”

poll loading Would you spend your wedding fund to save your pet? 0+ VOTES SO FAR Yes - my pet is part of my family No - As much as I love my pet, my wedding would come first

(Image: bristolpost.co.uk)

Over the following years, Bella suffered through a series of leg breaks, torn cruciate ligaments and muscle pain.

“Despite this, she is such a happy, loving, gentle girl,” Maria said. “She’s always smiling with her little crooked teeth.

“In July this year, Bella ruptured her left cruciate ligament and injured her left kneecap in the process.

“She has had three surgeries since 2017, so we were really worried that another one would be too much for her, but we booked her in, hoping it would be the last time she would need it done.”

Two days before Bella’s surgery date in July, she jumped off the sofa and completely ruptured her right cruciate ligament, as well as badly injuring her right kneecap.

“When her right leg went, it was such a blow,” Maria said.

“She was crying and couldn’t put any weight on it. It was horrible to see her in pain.”

(Image: bristolpost.co.uk)

Bella was taken in for emergency surgery on her right leg, but her tissue is not knitting together as vets hoped it would.

The dog is lame on her right side, unable to even toe-tap on the floor, while her left side is deteriorating.

Maria said: “At this point the vet said we had tried everything so it wouldn’t be the incorrect decision to let her go to sleep.”

Langford Small Animal Hospital in North Somerset proposed the last resort of an £8,000 surgery, which would see Bella given new metal knees by one of the top specialists in the country.

“As I cried to the vet, I went over and over it all, and as much as I hate the idea of my little girl going under anaesthetic again, and having major surgery again, I just can’t bring myself to say yes to having her put down,” Maria said.

The family’s vet said the operation would have a 95 per cent chance of being a permanent fix.

(Image: bristolpost.co.uk)

Maria said: “It feels strange to reach out to the world for financial support. You don’t realise how much pride you have, until you have to swallow it.

“Of course I’m scared that we won’t make it, but honestly, it’s worth the risk, and every penny counts.”

The Gofundme page has so far raised £847 towards the target and Maria has been shocked by the kindness of strangers.

She revealed one woman, whose own dog had to be put down, was so moved by Bella’s story she has been selling cups and t-shirts emblazoned with the dog’s image to raise money.

Maria said: “She’s a complete stranger, just very kind. It’s nice to see people get it, and don’t think we’re being dramatic or silly.

“A couple of people have been donating a little something every time they get their paycheck. It’s really heartwarming.”

The family hopes to raise the money for the operation as quickly as possible so Bella is out of pain soon.

You can donate to the fundraiser here .