Just last week, the situation looked bleak for Shadow the dog and his devoted family who were desperately trying to pool money together to raise funds for the Jack Russell's emergency surgery.

Readers of The Oldham Times were touched by the story as mum, Pippa Perks, and her seven-year-old son, Oliver Davies, were seen selling items to try to raise the £5,000 needed to save Shadow from euthanasia.

The dog had suffered an injury to his back on August 6, but pet insurance could only contribute £4,000 towards Shadow's MRI scan, blood work, medication and his overnight stay at the vets - but not the surgery itself, which cost £5,000.

The Oldham Times: Shadow is under strict orders to limit his movement while he recovers.Shadow is under strict orders to limit his movement while he recovers.

Unable to walk and found yelping in pain, Pippa feared Shadow would have to be euthanised if he couldn’t go into surgery – and the mum had exhausted other routes to try to get support.

Some pet charities in Oldham that can help with vet bills couldn't in Shadow's case as the family live too far out of the catchment area to be considered.

So Oliver set up his own 'garage sale' where he flogged his toys and homemade cakes in a bid to raise the funds for his furry best friend while mum was selling items online.

Fortunately, the family's fundraising efforts paid off and Shadow was immediately booked in for his surgery on Tuesday, August 23, less than 24 hours after The Oldham Times published the family's plight.

The Oldham Times: Oliver Davies was selling his toys to try to raise money for Shadow's surgery.Oliver Davies was selling his toys to try to raise money for Shadow's surgery.

The surgery revealed Shadow's disc had completely shattered and some parts were left by vets as it was too close to his spine to be safely removed.

The operation was also slow due to the complexity of the injury, however, it was a success and Pippa said Shadow had even "rolled over" for vets to "tickle his belly" after the operation.

And on Thursday night, Pippa went to collect Shadow to take him home to recover.

She said: "There's a long road to recovery now, but to see him walk out of the vet's door made me emotional.

"I felt so happy, I was so relieved."

Shadow is under strict orders from the vet to take it easy for the next four weeks where he will be crate-bound with a brief five-minute walk a day to improve his mobility.

However, Pippa said she's already noticed small improvements.

"He's getting there - he can walk to the garden for a wee, which is good.

"He is just sleeping a lot but he definitely seems to be out of pain.

"He isn't crying anymore and he's not falling over, which is great to see.

"It's just physio, lots of medication and rest now.

"I'm very grateful for what everyone has done", she added.