Woman in debt after spending £53,000 on dying dog says she doesn't regret it

A dog owner who is now in debt after spending £53,000 on her dying dog’s care says she doesn’t regret a thing.

Jodi Ekberg, from New York, US, was so desperate to help her nine-year-old Siberian Husky Frankie, who was diagnosed with multicentric lymphoma in 2015, that she racked up £20,000 in credit card and loan debts.

The 57-year-old hospital volunteer felt a particular connection to working therapy dog Frankie after being diagnosed with cancer at the same time as him and since his death has even been gifted a life-sized statue of the dog for her home.

And more than a year after her dog’s death she said she still has a whopping £30,000 of debt still to pay off.

Jodi said: ‘Frankie was my canine soulmate. Anything that was happening to me would happen to Frankie, but he always went one step further.

‘As a working therapy dog, Frankie helped so many people and bringing smiles to so many faces. So, our whole world turned upside down when he was diagnosed with multicentric lymphoma in 2015 and given four weeks to live.

‘Frankie and his three brothers were brought into my life to help me deal with cancer, broken bones, surgeries and other ailments and gave me a second chance at life.

‘My boys didn’t let cancer take me and I couldn’t let cancer take my baby without a fight. I would have sold our home and lived in our van if we had to so that Frankie could live.’

Jodi said friends of Frankie at The Empire State Snow Dog Club raised a staggering £16,000 to help with his treatment.

But Frankie’s cancer came back in August 2016 and this time was on his skull.

As the dog needed continual treatment, Jodi and husband Bruce, 60, racked up credit card and loan debts of £37,000 to pay for more surgery, chemotherapy and operations.

Jodi and her family sold valuable items such as jewellery and a one-bedroom time share home in order to raise funds for Frankie’s treatment.

They even considered selling their house to fund more treatment, but Frankie ended up dying before they could do so.

Jodi said: ‘It was at least £475 per fortnightly chemotherapy session, but I’d do anything for my babies.

‘When the cancer came back, we took out a loan, maxed out our credit cards and sold anything of value just so Frankie could start chemo again.’

Despite being told he would live for four to six weeks, Frankie defied the odds and lived for 20 more months after his initial diagnosis before passing away in May 2017.

And even though Jodi and Bruce are still saddled with £30,000 in debt, the couple insist they wouldn’t change a thing and have since adopted a new husky called Ollie.

Jodi said: ‘Before I lost Frankie, I told him that it was just his body that was sick, but a soul never dies and to please find his way back to me. Even now I still feel his presence in our home and know that he is always going to be here with us as he has sent us so many signs.

‘I started asking him to please send us another husky, and the same night we were contacted by a loving family who needed to rehome their husky puppy.

‘I know Frankie sent him to us because he is a beautiful red Siberian husky with blue eyes just like Frankie.’