This assistance puppy in Cork needs your help

A Cork based-charity which trains assistance dogs for people with disabilities has launched an appeal of a different kind.

Geoffrey the puppy was being trained by the Irish Dogs for the Disabled to help when they noticed he wasn't well. It turns out the puppy was born with a severe genetic joint disorder called canine elbow dysplasia, the most common cause of forelimb lameness.

The condition is treatable but very expensive. It will set the charity, which receives no government funding, back €10,000.

Newest recruit, Geoffrey enjoying the sunshine :) pic.twitter.com/6zbFzVXzsW

— DogsForTheDisabled (@DogsforDisable1) June 6, 2013

"We will be launching a fundraising campaign to try and cover the costs for his medical bills. We simply don't have the funds to cover this now but this puppy deserves quality of life."

Geoffrey was from an outside breeding programme, so none of the charity's other dogs will be affected by the condition.

Unfortunately, Geoffrey is no longer a suitable assistance dog candidate, but he will be trained as a companion dog for a child.

Geoffrey today

"Our dogs do so much for children and adults living with physical disabilities that we simply can't turn our backs on the dogs on our programme that through no fault of their own have health problems.

"Untreated, Geoffery won't have a quality of life and this surgery is not optional for him. However we simply don't have a budget to fund this, as all our funds go towards providing assistance dogs."

Training and caring for the assistance dogs costs the charity €15,000 per dog.

If you'd like to help Geoffrey you can donate through a bank account set up in AIB Blarney.

IBAN number: IE20AIBK 93638343643263

BIC: AIBKIE2D.

Alternatively you can donate €4 to the charity by texting PUPS to 50300.