A PENSIONER who suffers from a muscle-weakening condition has visited a four-legged friend with the same disease.

Ron Middlemass, chairman of the York branch of the Myasthenia Gravis Association, said he decided to drop in and see Oscar after reading about his plight in The Press.

The six-year-old black Labrador has spent more than a year at the RSPCA centre in York and is looking for a new home and loving owners. Like Ron, he suffers from a condition called Myasthenia Gravis (MG) – a disorder of the auto-immune system that means he will be on medication for the rest of his life. Ron, who ran Petland in New Earswick for 16 years before he retired, said: “Oscar is a lovely dog with a nice nature, and apart from having MG, he’s in good nick.

“He is on the same medication as I am, but a much smaller dose, and his MG is not a problem. I wanted to visit him, just as I visit other patients in the York area who have MG.”

The RSPCA centre said it would discuss Oscar’s medication regime with any potential new owner.

Anyone interested in offering Oscar a home should phone the Landing Lane centre on 01904 654949.