Dog lover Nickki Olimpi is hoping her puppy will soon be happy by nature and Happy by name after fundraising for an operation to save its leg.

The 34-year-old took on the care of Happy, a Brittany spaniel, in October last year after seeing a posting on Facebook explaining that he needed a new home.

Animal rescue charity Paws picked the six-month-old puppy up off the street in Cyprus after he was hit by a car, which has left him with a broken front leg.

Despite undergoing treatment in Cyprus, Happy’s leg has not mended properly so he needs surgery to break and reset it otherwise he will need to have it removed.

He is now being looked after Drove Veterinary Hospital in Wroughton which has estimated that the operation would cost between £4,000 and £4,500 for treatment at a specialist orthopaedic referral centre.

Vet Dave Rawlinson said: "As an alternative I have offered Ms Olimpi the option of our orthopaedic vet at Drove doing the surgery at a discounted price with fees just to cover the costs of drugs, implants and consumables and no charge for operating time as a way of trying to help out.

"Even so we are probably still looking at costs in the region of £1,000."

Miss Olimpi, of Five Stiles Road, Marlborough, said: “I didn’t realise at the time that his leg had been fused incorrectly. I thought he’d had his treatment and he’d just be coming over and it would mend, it was a bit of a shock."

Miss Olimpi, who has four-year-old twin daughters Eva and Isla, also has a pointer cross called Blacky and looks after her friend's dog Duke, a mastiff cross Rottweiler.

She said: “I just cannot bear the thought of Happy losing his leg. It would be the cheaper option and he would be pain free but what it would mean is that the other leg would take a lot of strain and over the years he’d be more likely to develop arthritis.

“Even something as simple as eating a bone he wouldn’t be able to do because he wouldn’t be able to hold it.

“He is in pain so the sooner he can have the surgery the better and the vet did say that with the surgery it could be as good as new.

“The girls just absolutely adore him.

“He’s very playful and mischievous. He loves to play but his leg really inhibits him.

“We go out walking in Savernake Forest with the three dogs and Happy is left so far behind.

“He won’t even put his leg down when he’s out on a walk and it’s just heartbreaking to see.”

To make a donation email nicolaolimpi@gmail.com using the reference Happy.