Rooney the dog gets PDSA cure from smokers’ cough after owner quits habit

Rooney the soccer-mad dog developed a smokers’ cough—but is now almost completely cured thanks to vets in London’s East End.

The 11-year-old Jack Russell terrier has been given a clean bill of health—less than 12 months after his owner kicked the habit.

Vets at PDSA’s Bow Pet Hospital warned owner Kathleen Dove last summer that her smoking was potentially contributing to a persistent cough her cross-bred Rooney was suffering from.

“I took their advice and quit straight away,” she revealed. “I haven’t looked back since.

“Rooney’s cough is almost non-existent and he seems much better. I’ve had him since he was a puppy and named him after Wayne Rooney because he loved playing with a football.”

Pensioner Kathy, 68, who helps run a community centre on her housing estate in Old Ford, near Victoria Park, was on 20 cigarettes a day from the age of 15 before cutting down, then quitting altogether on vets’ advice.

“I’ve gradually reduced how many cigarettes I had a day as I’ve got older,” she added. “But I didn’t realise it could still have been affecting Rooney’s health.”

Rooney’s glad she’s quit—he feels “more dog” nowadays.

The PDSA pet hospital in Malmesbury Road, Bow, advises owners ahead of national No Smoking Day tomorrow that puffing ciggies in the home could be harming their animals’ health and cutting short their lives.

The second-hand smoke has long been linked to fatal diseases in humans, such as lung cancer and heart disease.

The PDSA’s Vicki Larkham-Jones said: “Prolonged exposure to someone smoking can cause chronic breathing difficulties or cancer in pets as well as people.

“We’re spending more time with owners like Kathleen to encourage them to think about their animal’s health before they light up.”

Rooney is now getting some paws-on practice with his soccer, with his breathing improving.