Shropshire Star

Obese collie Bopper the Whopper unable to fit into a kennel

The 11-year-old dog has been put on a diet in a bid to trim his excess weight.

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Bopper the Whopper

A morbidly obese dog nicknamed Bopper the Whopper is too large to fit comfortably in a kennel, a rescue charity has said.

Bopper, an 11-year-old black and white collie, tips the scales at 49.6kg – almost 8st – which is nearly twice the weight he should be.

He was taken in by Gables Farm Dogs and Cats Home in Plymouth, Devon, but is currently too large to comfortably fit in the kennels there.

Bopper the Whopper
Bopper’s size becomes apparent when sitting next to a dog of a healthy weight (Gables Farm Dogs and Cats Home/PA)

Staff say Bopper has calluses forming on his elbows from constantly lying down as he finds walking painful due to his “advanced years and sheer size”.

Bopper is also suffering from an ear infection, is in need of dental treatment and is beginning to develop cataracts.

He is at a “very high risk” of developing diabetes due to his weight and will have to have his blood taken regularly to monitor his sugar levels, the charity said.

It is appealing for donations to help meet the costs of caring for Bopper.

Bopper the Whopper
Bopper is too large to fit in a kennel at the animal shelter, so he has temporarily moved in with its deputy manager RuthRickard ( Gables Farm Dogs and Cats Home/PA)

In a post on JustGiving, it wrote: “Big Bopper the Whopper simply finds breathing and standing very difficult and is currently so large that he cannot fit comfortably in the kennels, so he is being cared for at deputy manager Ruth Rickard’s home.

“He needs to get his weight down to around 27kg so he can enjoy his retirement years in comfort.

“This will be achieved by the specialist veterinary diet he has been put on with a programme of gentle exercise done little and often.”

It is estimated that Bopper’s care will cost more than £800.

Bopper the Whopper
The charity is seeking donations to help pay for Bopper’s care ( Gables Farm Dogs and Cats Home/PA)

Ms Rickard said the charity’s assistance was needed to help Bopper “feel better and more mobile”.

She added: “It makes us so proud to see the transformation and true difference we can make to these animals’ lives, which we couldn’t do without the support of our fantastic local community.

“As we are a true non-euthanasia charity he will be safe in our care until he is ready to look for a new loving home.”

The fundraising page can be found at justgiving.com/campaign/bigbopperthewhopper.

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