At its Lincolnshire base, Broken Biscuits helps dogs facing paralysis, injury and illness, while showing their families that life can still be full of adventures.
Summer spent six years waiting for someone to choose her. The eight-year-old Labrador, rescued from the dog meat trade in northern China, could not walk and was considered too difficult to rehome. Now in Britain, she is beginning a new chapter with Broken Biscuits, a charity that plans to help her through orthopaedic treatment and fit her with a wheelchair.
She is among a group of dogs recently brought from China by the charity. Tiny Pickle, a paralysed senior poodle, needs careful rehabilitation before a home can be considered. Sparkle, a blind, three-legged Chihuahua-terrier cross, is learning to feel safe. Dash, who was rescued as a puppy, needs both lifelong mobility support and time to overcome his fear of people and other dogs.
Their needs are different, but the charity’s approach is the same: assess each dog, provide treatment and rehabilitation, and find a home only when the dog is ready.
“At no point do we look at a dog who needs more and decide they’re worth less,” said co-founder Cassie Carney. “We don’t swap them out for an ‘easier option.’ We stand beside them, for however long it takes.”
The arrivals include Hayley, a former breeding dog who needs surgery for a painful knee condition, and Beth, who was rescued from a dog meat trade truck and is expected to need an eye removed. Vanessa and Calum are making gradual progress as they adjust to human contact and life beyond confinement.
Tiny Tim, a Pekingese, has yet to make the journey from China. Breathing difficulties have prevented him from flying, and he remains in veterinary care.
Lemon has gone to Forever Frosted Senior Dog Sanctuary, where carers say she is settling in well. She has begun enjoying walks, other dogs and the simple freedom of choosing her own bed.
For Broken Biscuits, the work extends well beyond bringing dogs to Britain. Co-founder Tim Giles said the team became involved after being asked to advise rescuers in China about dogs with conditions that might be treatable but could not readily receive the care they needed there. Charity staff and veterinary colleagues travelled to Harbin to assess dogs and work alongside local teams.
“In many cases, surgery alone isn’t enough,” Tim said. “Without proper rehabilitation, physiotherapy, and nursing, dogs can deteriorate quickly.”
Broken Biscuits also supports families in the UK whose dogs lose mobility through injury or conditions such as intervertebral disc disease, known as IVDD. The condition can cause pain and, in severe cases, paralysis. Dachshunds and French bulldogs are among the breeds affected.
The scale of the risk for dachshunds is striking. Dachshund Health UK says around one in four UK dachshunds may be affected by IVDD at some point in their lives. Royal Veterinary College research has put estimates of dachshunds showing clinical signs during their lifetime at 19 to 24 per cent.
Those are breed-specific estimates, rather than a figure for all UK dogs. A separate study of French bulldogs referred for investigation of spinal symptoms found that disc extrusion was their most common diagnosis; its findings should not be read as a rate for all French bulldogs.
For owners facing a new diagnosis, Broken Biscuits offers practical guidance and wheelchair and mobility aid loans. Carney said its support can include help with safe handling, hygiene, bladder care and rehabilitation, as well as ongoing advice as a dog’s needs change.
At the charity’s site, dogs can use a disabled dog park, an all-weather Play Barn and a Doggie Driving School, where they can get used to moving in their wheelchairs. Broken Biscuits says its specialist sanctuary also provides lifelong care for dogs and cats with complex needs.
Tim and Cassie have taken that message to Parliament this year, attending an Animal News Agency and Wildlife Guardian showcase for charities and campaigns and meeting MPs and peers to discuss their work.
Back at the sanctuary, progress may be measured in small moments but, as Cassie says: “Recovery isn’t measured in pounds spent or speed of turnaround, it’s measured in comfort, trust, dignity and quality of life.”
