Donations flood in to save Sark-born border collie with rare condition

Thursday, 20 November 2025 06:45

Donations have come flooding in to save Apollo from euthanasia, after being diagnosed with a condition affecting fewer than 1% of dogs.

The two-year-old border collie from Sark has a congenital vascular ring anomaly, which means some of his blood vessels around his heart have formed in a way that squeezes his oesophagus.

As a result, he now has a permanently enlarged but weak section of his swallowing tube, which means he struggles to eat and suffers from aspiration, which means things from his stomach go back into his throat.

Due to this, his quality of life is declining, and a vet has warned his owner, Ethan, that euthanasia will be necessary without surgery.

Ethan is trying to raise £8,000 for Apollo's medical treatments, which include corrective surgery, his stay at the veterinary practice and ongoing treatment to monitor his enlarged swallowing tube.

His owner says he wants Apollo to have every chance to recover and enjoy a full, happy life.

"I don’t have the funds to cover this emergency surgery and the follow-up care alone.

"Even a small donation will make a huge difference."

At the time of publishing this article, more than 60% of the target has been raised, with over 100 people donating to help Apollo .

Ethan says Apollo is a once-in-a-lifetime dog.

"He has the most beautiful soul ever.

"He is by my side pretty much all the time. He gets on with everyone, and he loves everyone. He’s also one of the smartest dogs I’ve ever met.

"I’m proud to be his owner."