Pete Wicks' desperate plea to give 'beloved' dog a home before he dies
Kind-hearted TV star Pete Wicks is urging Mirror readers to adopt Neapolitan Mastiff Theo who may only have months left to live because of a heart condition
For Pete Wicks, it was very much love at first sight. And as Theo the Neapolitan Mastiff bounds over and gives him a big, slobbery lick, the feeling is most definitely mutual.
'He is a big boy, clumsy, goofy, and a bit of a doughnut, but he's so soft and gentle with this squishy, slobbery face, and I just absolutely love him,' Pete says.
As the presenter of TV show Pete Wicks: For Dogs' Sake, he meets hundreds of dogs like Theo every year who are in desperate need of a home.
But he was left so moved by Theo's heartbreaking story that Pete is now calling on kind-hearted Mirror readers to help.
Because loveable Theo, who is only four-years-old, has a life-limiting heart condition that means he may only have up to a year left to live.
Pete is desperate for him to find a loving home so he doesn't have to spend his final days in kennels. And the star has even offered to pay for all Theo's medical bills himself to lessen the financial load for anyone who adopts him.
'I'm not afraid to admit I'm very emotional when it comes to dogs but it hit me very hard, like a ton of bricks,' Pete says. 'It's impacted me quite a lot and makes me emotional now thinking about it…if you could meet him and just two minutes with him, he is this big, slobbery angel on Earth.'
Theo has dilated cardiomyopathy which means that his heart struggles to work efficiently. He also has arrhythmia.
'We don't know how long he's got before heart failure. It could be months. It could be a year, but the likelihood is that as he gets older, it will get worse,' he says.
'He may not have a particularly lot of time left. He is being treated with different medicines, which are incredibly expensive, so I've offered to pay for these myself.'
Pete says he would have loved to have adopted Theo himself, who is currently living at Kenilworth Dogs Trust.
'I genuinely would love to but we're at the beginning of filming for the next six months, which makes looking after him impossible,' he says.
'But its upsets me when I think of this dog spending whatever time he has left in kennels.
'If there ever is a dog that deserves to be at home and have however long he's got left surrounded by a family, this is the dog.'
They first met while filming the new series of the smash-hit U&W show Pete Wicks: For Dogs' Sake at Dogs Trust Kenilworth. Theo arrived severely underweight after being found as a stray.
For now, Theo, who weighs 52kgs, is being expertly cared for by staff, who have also fallen in love with him, particularly Louie his handler.
Given his heart condition, they have to manage Theo very carefully, who is a little limited in terms of the amount of exercise he is allowed.
'Keeping a young dog who's kind of got this lust for life quite calm, especially when it's a dog of his size, can be quite difficult,' Pete says. Instead they try and keep him stimulated in other ways such as through licky mats and puzzles, which Theo enjoys.
'We try to stimulate his brain in a way that kind of exercise would normally do, but keeps him fairly calm in the process,' he says.
According to the Dogs Trust, Theo would be happy in a home with teenagers aged 14 and above, and could live with another confident dog, following a successful meet-and-greet at the charity's rehoming centre.
Emma-Jane Thomas, Rehoming Centre Manager at Dogs Trust Kenilworth, adds: 'Theo is our resident gentle giant. He's got a wonderful temperament and buckets of love to give, but sadly, his health condition and life expectancy is putting off potential adopters.
'We're so grateful to Pete and the For Dogs' Sake team for helping us spread the word about Theo and his search for a home.
'Until we are able to find him a permanent home, Theo will be taken care of by our wonderful team of volunteer fosterers and staff at Dogs Trust Kenilworth, but we know his forever sofa is out there somewhere. And with Pete Wicks giving him the celeb seal of approval, how could you possibly say no?'
Due to his size and energy. Theo will also need some support settling into a routine, including housetraining and gradually becoming comfortable being left alone. His ideal home would offer plenty of space and a peaceful routine, the charity says.
'If there ever there is a dog that deserves to live out the rest of his life surrounded by love, then it's this one,' says Pete.
Pete Wicks: For Dogs' Sake is returning to U&W for a second and third series, as well as a Christmas special. Series one is available to stream for free on U.
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