The cross-country road trip to save Perth man’s best friend

November 12, 2026 — 5:00am

Some things in life you can’t put a price on. For Perth man Paul Entwistle, that thing had four paws, a wagging tail and a habit of making every day a little brighter.

His name is Eddie.

And for Entwistle and his family, Eddie isn’t just a pet. He is the familiar face waiting at the door, the loyal companion through his family’s ups and downs, and a pint-size, four-legged friend who loves nothing more than trying to hurdle over their five-metre fence.

So, when Entwistle got the devastating news that his much-loved family dog needed specialised, lifesaving heart surgery – treatment that wasn’t available in Perth – he didn’t hesitate to pack up the pooch in the car and travel to Melbourne for the operation.

He had no other choice but to make the 3400-kilometre trek east, as the 10-year-old Schnoodle can’t fly because of his condition.

“We found out pretty quickly there was no one in Perth or even Australia that could do the particular procedure,” Entwistle told this masthead during a pit stop at Balladonia, just west of the Nullarbor Plain.

“But there are clinics in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne that fly in surgeons from China and Japan to do the procedure.

“So, we are heading to a clinic in Melbourne now.”

Eddie is suffering from Myxomatous valve disease – a degenerative condition in which the tissue of one or more heart valves becomes abnormally thickened, weakened, and floppy due to changes in the valve’s connective tissue.

Without the complicated surgery, the beloved bow-wow would be unlikely to survive, so for Entwistle, the road trip to Melbourne was a no-brainer.

While the communications expert is reluctant to say how much the procedure will cost, other than the price of a small sedan, the money was never an option.

“I would do this trip for a dear friend or family, and Eddie is family,” he said.

“He is the kindest dog you will ever meet. I know everyone says their dog is the best, but he is such a kind soul”

Entwistle said his mum, Kay, who died in 2021, named the dog Eddie after former Carlton and Adelaide Crows dynamic goal sneak Eddie Betts.

As a puppy, the clever canine was as nimble and evasive as the electrifying small forward and spent his days trying to leap over the fence.

“He could jump and get his head above the fence gate at home, so mum was like, ‘Let’s call him Eddie’,” he laughed.

“So yeah, he was named after mum’s love of the Crows and Eddie Betts.”

The 56-year-old said Eddie was inseparable from his mum when she became ill in 2015.

Especially when the Crows were playing.

“Eddie is one of the final living ties to our mother,” he said.

“He used to sit with mum when she was having really bad days.

“He is such an intuitive dog and just knew when people needed him around”

The former radio and TV personality said so far, Eddie has been the perfect travelling companion.

Entwistle knows that for the next few days there will be nothing but scrub, road trains and the occasional sign warning motorists about camels, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s only been two days, but he is the best driver reviver scheme you could ever want,” he joked.

“Every two hours I’ve got to stop and take him for a pee, and a play just to make sure the fluid is not building up and everything.

“He’s been great – he just sits there in the car and watches everything”.

Entwistle is hoping to arrive in Melbourne by Monday, where Eddie will have the surgery, before the pair head back to Perth by road.

The former swimming champion is acutely aware that some people won’t comprehend crossing the country to save a 10-year-old dog’s life.

He doesn’t give a flying fig because his sojourn east is all about Eddie.

“It’s heart surgery so that Eddie could die on the table,” he said.

“But so far the success rate is extremely high, and Eddie could live until he’s 15 or older.”

“So, I’m going to Melbourne no matter what, because Eddie is a member of the family.”

Brendan Foster is a Fremantle local, former Fairfax journalist and communication professional, with work published in Guardian Australia, The New York Daily, The New York Times, Crikey, WAtoday, News.com.au, The Irish Times and The Sunday Times.

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