A desperate dog owner from Manchester is appealing to the public to help fund research into the cause of her beloved pup’s unexplained seizures.
Morgan Dale and her blue Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Hugo have an incredible bond.
Not only is he her cherished pet, but she also credits him for saving her life by pulling her back from the brink following a suicide attempt. Now, Morgan is trying to return the favour and get her poorly pup the help he needs after he suffered some “terrifying” seizures – something vets are aiming to get to the bottom of.
Two-year-old Hugo’s seizures started a few weeks ago, and then more recently, he had two in the space of four hours.
He is currently being treated for possible epilepsy, but Morgan has been told that it could potentially be a brain tumour and this is something she won’t know until an investigative MRI has been carried out alongside an Ultrasound scan on his heart and other internal organs.
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But this costs money – and it’s a lot more than is currently covered by Morgan’s insurance.
“I genuinely think without Hugo, I would not be here [and] I say this all the time [but] this dog saved my life,” Morgan told Team Dogs.
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Hugo has suffered some “terrifying” seizures over the past few weeks / Credit: Morgan Dale
Fearing that she may have to give her pup up for adoption if she is unable to find the funds for the scans, Morgan has set up a GoFundMe page with the target of raising £2,000 and is asking anybody who can spare a few pounds to consider donating towards Hugo’s treatment.
“He’s just not the same dog,” Morgan added.
“He’s just really sad, he seems depressed [and] he just constantly wants to just chill.
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“Obviously after the seizures as well, he was absolutely terrified. He doesn’t know who I am, he wouldn’t let me near him. He was running away from me, hiding. He was just absolutely terrified and it was traumatic, traumatic for me and him.”
Having contacted various charities, Morgan now faces losing precious Hugo for good as if she cannot raise enough money to fund his MRI, she will have no choice but to sign him over to a charity that is able to pay for treatment.
Morgan Dale and her blue Staffy named Hugo share an incredible bond / Credit: Morgan Dale
Morgan continued: “Basically, once I sign that paperwork, I’ll never see him ever again [so] I just hope to god that I can get it so that he can stay with me, because I don’t want to stress him out.
“I just love him so much… and I just couldn’t imagine being without him.”
If you would like to contribute to Hugo’s treatment costs and help reach the £2,000 target, you can donate via Morgan’s GoFundMe page here.
Featured Image – Morgan Dale
UK News
Manchester United set to join Premier League transfer battle for Morgan Rogers
Danny Jones
Manchester United and several other Premier League teams are expected to join in a multi-club race for the signature of Morgan Rogers in the upcoming transfer window.
Over the last year or two, Morgan Rogers has become not just one of the Three Lions’ brightest prospects but arguably one of the best young players in Europe.
Now reportedly set to, at the very least, consider leaving Aston Villa – regardless of whether they qualify for the Champions League or not – a fair few clubs are set to pursue the fast-rising England international this summer.
As per Times Sport writers Gary Jacob and Paul Hirst, Rogers is now on the radar of Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal – and that’s just in the domestic top flight…
Clubs renew interest in Morgan Rogers as Villa face bidding war this summer
England midfielder is wanted by Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea, with Villa’s valuation likely exceeding £80million
With an estimated minimum valuation of £80 million being slapped on the 23-year-old, it’ll take quite a sizeable package for Villa to let the West Brom academy product go.
The West Midlands-born midfielder was signed following an impressive bunch of performances at Middlesbrough, where he already trained under a then-fledgling new manager, Michael Carrick, who he joined following a number of loan spells at the likes of Lincoln City, Bournemouth and Blackpool.
His previous employers prior to the Birmingham side were actually Manchester City, who signed Rogers as a youth back in 2019, but never gave him a full run-out in the senior squad.
Now a fully graduated first-team star, a regularly decisive player/match-winner and clearly in Thomas Tuchel’s national team plans for the World Cup, Man City are not currently thought to be interested in re-signing him as they did with the likes of James Trafford, for example.
Then again, he isn’t necessarily a position they’re looking to strengthen with so many attack-minded options in advanced areas, whereas it’s claimed United are hoping to solve a number of issues all over the pitch this summer.
It’s worth noting he scored two incredible finishes against the Red Devils earlier this season.
Both certified worldies.
Of course, there is always the possibility of City and other big sides coming in for him, not only because of his undeniable talent but in an effort to stop rivals acquiring his services.
In the case of Manchester United, how much budget the INEOS board will afford Carrick and co regarding recruitment remains to be seen, though there is the belief that Rogers more than fits the attributes and age profile of those that sporting director Jason Wilcox will be targeting.
One bit of defensive business MUFC have already managed to complete is sorting a fresh new deal for centre-back Harry Maguire, who recently signed a key contract extension.
Manchester rent is now ‘41% more expensive than five years ago, according to a recent study
Danny Jones
Yes, that’s right, as per some of the latest data on leased housing in central Manchester, it’s now approximately 41% more expensive to rent here than it was half a decade ago.
If you’ve lived in and around the city centre for long enough, chances are that you’ve already been feeling that difference, especially of late.
The ongoing cost-of-living crisis roughly began in 2021, following the economy and the world essentially opening back up after multiple lockdowns, so it’s little surprise that new research has shown affordability when it comes to renting has been on a slump ever since, too.
As well as the price of seemingly most things in everyday life going up post-pandemic, the average rental rate for even just a one-bedroom flat/apartment has jumped up significantly between 2020 and 2025.
Even some ‘available’ housing in town is being hampered by claddin (Credit: Valienne via WikiCommons)
That’s according to the numbers crunched by credit card experts, Zable, anyway.
Not only did their recent report cite the rent prices going up even before the cost of living crisis – essentially following the outset of the Covid-19 outbreak – but if their figures, the rate of inflation and the unwaveringly high demand for housing are anything to go by, this trajectory is likely to continue in 2026.
As of February this year, around one in three UK households is now a single-person occupancy, which already comes with its challenges (the Manchester City Council tax discount being a thin lifeline for countless), not to mention energy bills and the cost of groceries continuing on an upwards trend.
Put in the simplest and most reductive terms, it’s now almost £300 dearer for most people to live on their own than it was back in 2020, and besides Liverpool clocking in as second on the list of increasingly expensive cities to live (a 42.12% increase), Manchester came in third.
You can see the full table down below:
Rank
City
% increase – 2020-2025
Difference from 2020 to 2025 in £
Average rental cost for a 1 bed 2025
1
Newport
47.39%
£2,611
£8,121
2
Liverpool
42.12%
£2,290
£7,727
3
Manchester
41.00%
£3,364
£11,569
4
Edinburgh
40.28%
£4,620
£16,090
5
Leicester
39.93%
£2,391
£8,379
6
Wolverhampton
39.22%
£2,049
£7,273
7
Nottingham
39.07%
£2,400
£8,543
8
Glasgow
38.02%
£2,679
£9,725
9
Colchester
37.63%
£2,617
£9,572
10
Cardiff
37.06%
£2,828
Average rental cost for a 1-bed 2025
Another fear is that with lots of people finding it hard to manage living in other major cities like London, even those moving to Manchester are also having an impact on how available affordable housing is here.
That’s why schemes such as the new ‘social rent’ development over in Wythenshawe are so important to the current generations of renters, with the possibility of owning your own property in the future becoming increasingly difficult for so many.
It’s also worth noting that Manchester ranked fourth among the British locations where the cost of living is said to have increased the most over the past five years, with the average difference in annual spend growing by an estimated 22.84%.
Emily Sergeant -
24th June 2021 
