Save the sausage dog: Miniature dachshund named Gus who requires urgent cancer treatment was stopped at the Queensland border - before a pet ambulance stepped in

An adorable sausage dog named Gus who requires an urgent medical cancer treatment was turned away at the Queensland border because of COVID-19 restrictions. 

The 12-year-old miniature dachshund needed surgery for an oral melanoma which doctors feared could spread to his chest and lungs.

His loving owner Amelia Fidler, who lives with Gus in Tasmania, was told she could book in for Gus' operation in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane. 

She told Daily Mail Australia that it made sense to make the trip up to Queensland because her mother-in-law lived there. 

Ms Fidler and her partner decided to take the ferry to Victoria on the Spirit of Tasmania and then drove 10 hours to Sydney where they stayed overnight, before driving another 10 hours to Queensland, where they were stopped short at the border. 

 The 12-year-old miniature dachshund needed surgery for an oral melanoma which doctors feared could spread to his chest and lungs

 His loving owner Amelia Fidler, who lives with Gus in Tasmania, was told she could book in for Gus' operation in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane

Ms Fidler opted to have Gus' treatment in Queensland as her mother-in-law was there  

'I didn't realise the whole of Sydney was a hotspot,' she said. 

'If the New South Wales map with the hotspot areas was the first thing you saw when loading the page I would never have stayed there.

'I understand it's completely my fault that I didn't understand... Queensland could have made it much easier.' 

Desperate to get Gus to his appointment on time, Ms Fidler went on Facebook to find someone willing to drive him from Tweed Heads, a north-eastern town in NSW, to Brisbane in Queensland.  

'I am in a dire situation,' she wrote on Monday.

'I have just driven from Tasmania (via the ferry) through NSW to the border to be turned around and not granted access to QLD due to me making a mistake with COVID hotspot areas.

'The reason we have done 24 hours of driving is because my miniature dachshund needs urgent medical radiation treatment for an oral melanoma that is growing at a rapid state (radiation is not available in Tasmania). 

'I am so desperate and just don't know what else to do.'

When the family arrived at the Queensland border, they were turned away after staying in Sydney, a hot spot, in the past 24 hours (Pictured: Gus)

Gus needed the urgent treatment as doctors feared that the melanoma could spread to his chest and lungs

Within hours of asking for help, Ms Fidler was inundated with offers to transport Gus from Tweed Heads to his important medical appointment in Queensland

Within hours of asking for help, Ms Fidler was inundated with offers to transport Gus from Tweed Heads.

'I was overwhelmed by the response,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 

'I had people doing all they could to find someone to take him. I had offers to come and get him at 5am to get him to his appointment by 11am the following morning. 

'I received a call from my mother-in-law at 2am who had also been up all night calling trying to find someone to come and get him. 

'She had found a dog ambulance to come and pick him up at 7am and get him to his appointment by 11am the following day.'  

With the dog ambulance responding to their call, Gus arrived at his appointment on time and underwent tests where doctors found a heart murmur. 

Ms Fidler said that he had a common disease with small dogs which affected how their heart beats.

He will undergo more testing on Wednesday before undergoing radiation and chemotherapy on Friday. 

Gus pictured celebrating his 10th birthday. Ms Fidler hopes the radiation and chemotherapy works

'He’s been the best dog to me over the last 12 years and I had to do whatever was in my power to make him live the best, longest and most comfortable life possible,' Ms Fidler said

Despite making it on time to his appointment, Ms Fidler revealed that Gus would need $6,000 for the melanoma vaccine.

She was unable to take out a personal loan and with the help of her friend started a GoFundMe page to help raise the funds. 

'We will do absolutely everything else we can to help get him treated and comfortable and are keeping everything crossed that the radiation and chemo works for him,' she said.

'He's been the best dog to me over the last 12 years and I had to do whatever was in my power to make him live the best, longest and most comfortable life possible.'

The couple are currently staying in Nimbin in northern NSW and hope to cross the Queensland border soon, as they have not been in a Covid hotspot for a few weeks.