TikTok fans rally to help Dublin dog Toby suffering from five-minute seizures

Toby the Gentleman, described as the “most followed dog in Ireland” on social media, has been having five-minute-long seizures and needs expensive treatment.

His owner, Suman Gurung, from Castleknock, told Independent.ie: “Toby has seizures because of his epilepsy. It started last year, he had one in 2022 and this month so far, he’s had four of them.

“We went to the vet and an MRI was recommended, but it costs €2,000 to €3,000. It’s so expensive and other tests might be needed too.

“I’m so scared and frightened right now, it breaks my heart in a million pieces. Toby is a good boy, he’s my son,” he added.

Toby’s social media accounts have brightened up so many people’s days and Suman is hoping the five-year-old boxer terrier can get back to normal and keep cheering up others.

“Toby connects with the people. I get thousands of people saying they love the TikToks, that their grandmother is sick but Toby cheers them up.

“Kids with special needs love him too, I get messages from their mams or siblings. It’s a nice thing to connect with so many people through Toby.

“Toby is on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.

"He’s huge, he has around 2.5 million followers overall. He’s the most followed dog in Ireland and had his own documentary on RTÉ.”

After receiving almost €14,000 through a fundraiser he set up for Toby, Suman has enough money for the MRI and is using the spare cash to help other dogs in need.

“I work as a barman in Castleknock. We’ve helped 300 dogs in the area and abroad through Toby’s account,” Suman said.

“They get food for the next four to five months, their own blanket, and their own bed. Toby helps save the lives of so many dogs and now he needs help himself. He’s getting his MRI tomorrow if he’s well enough.”