A crowdfunding appeal has been set up for a dog trainer whose pet broke her neck in a terrifying accident on Sunday night.

Jo Sellers, 54, from Surrey, found her beloved dog Reba, nine, collapsed after letting her out in the garden - and it was thanks to her having first aid training that she’s still alive.

Pets as Therapy dog Reba had broken her neck and was operated on by TV supervet Noel Fitzpatrick on Monday night - and Jo hopes she will make a full recovery.

However, her insurance will only cover £5,500, and the cost of Reba’s surgery alone is £15,000 - meaning Jo, who runs Pippin Pets Dog Training, faces a bill of £9,500 so far.

Jo said: “It was terrifying, seeing her lay there unable to move. I’ve had first aid training so I gently lifted her and took her to the car to the emergency vets. I was so scared - I just kept saying, ‘I love you, hang on,’ over and over.

“The vets ran tests and tried to get Reba to stand, but she couldn’t, so they called to see if a referral centre could see her – and I took her to Fitzpatrick’s the following morning.

“I watched as they carried her in on a spinal board, and after scanning her and finding she had broken part of her vertebra and two discs were out of line, the team arranged for Noel to operate on her on Monday night.”

Noel has shared videos of Reba, a Bichon Frise-Cocker Spaniel cross, on his Instagram account this week and explained how he used metal implants and cement on her spinal fracture – and talked about the importance of being willing to change your plans to help others.

He told his 370,000 followers: “What you have to do is put good out into the world and then wait and see what the effect is.

“You're not going to see the effect immediately - this is another little metaphor here in Reba’s situation. Put out good in the world to a stranger that you don't know, or to someone you do know - put it out there.

“You’ve got to wait and see what the effect is. Don't expect the effect straight away. Most good things take time, and now, thankfully, we do have time, so I'll keep you posted.”

Jo will need to make adaptations to her home as Reba recovers - and is asking anyone with spare dog beds or exercise pens in the Surrey area to contact her.

A GoFundMe page has been set up by her friend Zoe Willingham, where Jo’s friends, colleagues, and clients have kindly donated over £2,000.

Zoe said: “What has happened to Reba is every dog owner’s worst nightmare. Jo is single and doesn’t have a second income - and the dog community has rallied round to support her.”

Jo added: “All the messages have been brilliant because I’ve not felt alone. It can be very isolating because I live on my own and Reba is my world - so I have been so moved by so many people wanting to help.”

If you’d like to donate to support Jo, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jo-reba-reba-broke-her-neck-in-a-freak-accident