In a last ditch attempt to save her beloved reptile, she decided to splash her savings on pioneering treatment – making plucky George the first bearded dragon in the UK to undergo chemotherapy. Now, after spending more than £3,000 ($3979.20) and travelling 200 miles each day to the Animal Health Trust in Suffolk, things are starting to look up for George, who was told at the weekend that he was making a recovery.

“To me it is like if your child was really ill, you would do anything to make them better, and it’s like he is my child,” Lizzie explained. “When I first saw George at the rescue centre I just fell in love with him. I knew I would give him everything I could, I would spend every amount of money I could on him, and I would take him and look after him and care for him properly. My fiancé knows that George will always come first.”

I always go back and forth when people spend so much money on their pets like this. On one hand, after almost losing my dog Willy, I can completely understand the feeling of wanting to do everything you possibly can to save them. On the other hand, we do have to remember that they are just animals, and don’t live that long to begin with. I would rather end my animal’s suffering than prolong it — I wish we could do the same for humans in that situation. 

I guess some people would call me cruel for this, but I have to say, if I had $3,200, I don’t think I’d spend it on my guinea pigs to save their lives. They are wonderful little critters, and I love them dearly, but it just seems like a lot of money to spend on them which could go towards many more important things.