A CROWDFUNDING appeal has been launched to help a lame puppy walk again.

Chase, a 16-week-old whippet, was given up by he owners after he broke his leg and they couldn't afford an operation.

Instead he was fitted with a plaster cast, but his leg is now bowed and he is unable to walk and run.

Jerri Bosley, of Taunton, a volunteer with pet charity Paws 4 Thought (P4T) has placed Chase with a foster home in Somerset and hopes to raise enough money for the dog's leg to be righted.

"We don't know how Chase broke his leg, but it was possibly a fall," said Jerri, who runs The Little Cake Boutique business.

"He broke his front elbow and when his owners took him to the vet, he put a cast on it because they couldn't afford to pay for surgery.

"It helped fuse the bones back together, but the leg is now twisted and he needs an operation to be able to walk again."

Jerri, who is currently caring for four rescued cats and another dog, hopes to raise £3,000 for P4T to pay for Chase's surgery and to cover the costs of other adopted animal.

She added: "Chase is currently lame, and not using his leg at all.

"He does not seem like he is in much pain at all, being such a well behaved pup, but he needs to be able to run and let off the seemingly limitless amounts of energy he has, which he is just unable to do at the moment."

A vet has agreed to operate to save Chase's leg by straightening it using a metal frame in an effort to avoid having to amputate.

Even after the surgery, Chase will require hydrotherapy and after care during the healing process.

The vet has already treated a number of other P4T dogs and the charity's costs are mounting up.

"We already have a couple of thousand pounds owed on our vet's billing account from all our other dogs currently in foster care," said Jerri.

"If anyone could spare anything, even if it is just £1, Chase and ourselves would be eternally grateful."

To donate towards Chase's leg-saving operation, click here.