Owners of TikTok famous dog from Leeds thank internet for saving their pet's life

The Leeds dog who was supported by one of the largest ever GoFundMe’s for an animal has made a “remarkable” recovery, according to his owners.

The internet rallied around King Chilli when the TikTok famous pug began experiencing recurrent seizures and required emergency medical treatment in May.

The GoFundMe set up by Chilli’s owners Ollie and Helena Cutts raised an astonishing £155,000 to support the poorly pup.

“It still gives me goose bumps. He spent years making people laugh, and when his life was in danger, they came together to help save him,” Ollie told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Helena added: “Seeing people from different countries and backgrounds come together for our tiny guy was the most moving thing I’ve ever seen. It genuinely restored our faith in humanity.”

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Medical exploration suggested that seven-year-old Chilli had encephalitis, a severe swelling of the brain.

Treatment included high-dose steroids and cytarabine chemotherapy, however, Ollie and Helena were told that their pet’s prognosis was “poor to guarded”.

Ollie said: “We asked if there was any chance he could pull through. We were told there was, but it was incredibly small.

“We understood that if he survived, it would be something extraordinary.”

To make matters even worse, Chilli then developed a vein inflammation, a serious infection in his foreleg, nerve damage, and a corneal ulcer.

These extra challenges made medical treatment a “balancing act” between managing the dog’s brain inflammation and keeping the rest of his body healthy.

Over the years, Chilli’s dedicated TikTok account has amassed 1.5 million followers as fans have loyally watched humorous videos of Chilli’s daily life.

This support from around the world showed when Ollie and Helena decided to share their pet’s ongoing health battle online.

The couple created a GoFundMe to assist with Chilli’s veterinary costs and in just one hour, it reached £11,000.

“We had gone in prepared to use everything we had. Then we saw over £11,000. We both cried. We couldn’t believe it. We recorded a thank-you video straight away because we were completely overwhelmed,” Ollie said.

“We will never forget that moment.”

Ollie and Helena describe Chilli as a “completely unique” dog who is “fearless”, though he has “no awareness of his size”.

The small-statured pet is a viral sensation, but he has no idea he is internet famous.

Helena said: “I wish there [was] some way we could explain it to him.

“I wish he could understand how many people he has made happy and how many people around the world know and love his little face.”

The loved dog is “slowly improving” and he is at home and seizure-free while navigating ongoing treatment.

Ollie and Helena have a busy household with not just Chilli, but five other dogs too: Lily, Luna, Teddy, Tonks, and Willow.

As Tonks and Lily have also faced health challenges, Ollie and Helena describe this past year as an “incredibly difficult time”.

They now want to make a change by raising awareness of the great financial struggles sudden veterinary costs can cause for families.

The pair are inviting pet owners from across the world to share their experiences of emergency vet care access on the Waiting Room Stories Project.