A woman facing a £17k vet bill after her beloved pooch broke its neck in a freak accident is warning dog owners to check their pet insurance policies.

Jo Sellers, 54, was left horrified after her nine-year-old dog Reba accidentally ran into a tree in the garden and was found lying lifeless beneath it.

Ms Sellers raced the Cocker Spaniel and Bichon Frisé cross to her local vets where she was given the devastating news that Reba had broke her C3 vertebrae.

Despite having insurance for her dog, Ms Sellers has been left with a vet bill of £17k and her insurance only covers a third of it.

A clause means that any policies for dogs over the age of eight, the insurer claims 20 per cent in addition to the excess.

Ms Sellers, from Surrey, is now fundraising for help with Reba's vet bills as the pooch slowly recovers - having narrowly avoided becoming paralysed.

The dog behaviourist and trainer, who has had Reba since she was a puppy, said: "People should have a good awareness of their insurance policies.

"I had to pay a lot for the deposit on arrival and then more when I picked Reba up. You don't have time to get a loan out with these types of accidents.

"Reba has lived in that house for nine years and I let her out every evening for a wee. She must have been distracted by a rodent or squirrel and she's run into the tree. It was touch and go.

"I would bankrupt myself to give her a good quality of life."

Ms Sellers, who runs her own company called Pippin Pets Dog Training, had let Reba out for her evening wee on October 27 when she heard a whimper.

She tried calling her dog and, when she heard nothing back, ventured out into the garden with a torch to look for her.

Ms Sellers said: "I found Reba lying 10 metres down the garden under the cherry tree. She was gasping and her tongue had gone really purple.

"I felt a pulse so I scooped her up and laid her on the kitchen floor. Her body was totally limp."

Ms Sellers rang her local vets out of hours service and they managed to stabilise the dog before referring her to another centre for specialised treatment.

Tests revealed Reba had broken her C3 vertebra - and underwent surgery to realign her spine and reinforce it with plates and pins.

Miraculously the pooch began to show small signs of improvement - such as wagging her tail and lifting her head.

Reba came home on Thursday, November 7 but Ms Sellers faces a mountain vet bill for Reba's surgery, consultations and aftercare including physiotherapy.

She said: "Reba's very distressed and scared. She can move her body and squat to go to the toilet if she's assisted by me holding her.

"I'm very hopeful she will be able to stand and move around in time. The vet said it was a total freak accident.”