Emergency Surgery for Niko

Niko is a very lovable Papillon who is loyal, friendly and always has her tail wagging whenever she gets attention. She is 11 years young and still has many more years left in her, with the way she acts.

Early Sunday morning, a protrustion formed on her underside that definitely did not look right. A vet visit and a few tests later, we were told she has a uterine tumor and needs immediate surgery to remove the tumor and possibly her uterus as well. This is an incredibly invasive surgery that will most likely get rid of any future complications as well as this one, but is very costly.

Niko's owner, Brett, chose her when she was only 4 months old and they have been inseperable ever since. She was very sick, the runt of her litter and not expected to live past a couple months --- however, she has made it to 11 years so far and is, besides this complication, a very happy, healthy puppy-at-heart. Very many people are surprised to learn she is 11 when they ask how old she is - most don't put her over the age of 2.

Niko is a very, very active dog and joins her partner-in-crime Brett on many adventures. We want to see her have more adventures in the future to come.

Any donation will help Niko immensely to have her surgery and heal properly. We would like to thank each and every one who donates even a dollar to help Niko.

Thank you very much.
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More pictures of Niko have been added at the bottom.
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EDIT 7:09PM --- Brett has written a brief history of Niko:

Good afternoon, Internet,
My name is Brett and I am currently a struggling nursing student, but that’s not what I’m here to talk about. I’m here to talk about my puppy, Niko. She is one of the greatest creatures ever to walk this planet. Everyone who meets her loves her. Want proof? I didn’t even know this site existed. When I started talking to others about Niko’s recent problem, one of them put this together with pictures they had. Not me! That effort, and thought, mean so much to me. Here’s a little bit of the history of my best friend ever, Niko:
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Niko and I met back in July of 2003. I was 14 and was living with my father who hated the idea of having a dog. Well, my birthday was coming up, and after hounding him (cough) at great length he finally caved to the idea of me getting a dog.
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After some research I decided that the Papillion was the breed for me and it took some looking to find someone who had a female, Papillion puppy for sale. Eventually I found a shop, showed up, and I inquired about the Papillon. The woman goes into the back and comes out with this small, pink, barely 2lb., thing with giant, bat-looking ears and a constant cough, who she was separating from the other dogs. It was love at first sight.
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She had “kennel cough,” was the runt of the litter, and no one else wanted her. They were sure she was going to die and made sure to keep reminding me “if she dies within X months we’ll give you a new one for free next litter.” I can still hear my dad saying, “now, you’re sure you want that one? That one?” Oh yes, she was sick, she was tired, she looked like a special-needs rat, but I knew she was my dog.
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I took her to the vet, got her medicine, and finally brought my new friend home. I named her Niko “The Destroyer of Worlds and the Devourer of Lost Souls” Rodriguez. Why? Because I was a 14 year old boy and it sounded funny at the time, that’s why.
One of my bargaining chips to get a dog was the fact that I was off for the summer and had time to train her. Well, puppies sleep. Sick puppies sleep longer. As she slept, I cuddled with her. As the medicine bottle got emptier she slowly started getting better. Soon this furry little thing, with disproportionately large ears and head, was wandering around, exploring her new home. She was almost like a duckling imprinted on its mother. She would get curious and explore but the moment I stepped too far away for comfort she came running to catch up with me. At the time she still had shorter hair than an adult Papillion, so sometimes I just saw this stubby little stick of a tail, sticking straight up, bobbing up and down coming towards me. It was very endearing.
Once she was healthy enough to socialize I enrolled her in a little “puppy training school” at PetSmart. Now, I’ve trained multiple dogs in my life. Let me tell you, this girl was so beyond easy to train. She was so eager to learn and listen to me that I didn’t need to bribe her with treats. All she needed was a ‘good girl’ followed by attention (of course she still got many, many treats). Same with discipline. Just a stern ‘BAD GIRL!’ and an adamant finger pointed at her is enough to make her feel bad and want to make things right.

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She learned all the formal commands like ‘sit’, ‘stay’, and ‘lie down,’ but, just through interaction she learned to do thinks like ‘high 5” (when she speaks she has the most adorable “howl”). At this point she is so attentive that I just feel like I have to talk to her, rather than give her a command, to get her to do things that I want. When I tell her to get down, leave a room, or prompt her to follow me, it feels like I’m talking to another human, not a dog. She is the closest thing one of my friends has ever come to having a dog, and my friend (the human one) has expressed being baffled when she sees “dogs” who don’t listen like Niko does. She’s told me they seem feral by comparison.
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Niko is more than just a dog, or a pet. She is my friend. She is my best friend. She was right next to me through all the best and worst times of my life. She was there for me, through all my angsty, awkward teen years, my first love, my first breakup, deaths of family members, and any other life event you can think of. Niko will even guard me while I sleep. Even if she knows the person, when they approach my sleeping body she will growl and bark. If I’ve ever been sad enough to cry, and she sees me, she simply won’t allow it. She comes over to me, wagging her tail and licking my face until I start smiling and break down laughing. She is a wonderful therapist for coping with life.
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If I ever do anything or go anywhere, if possible, she is right at my side. She has been on so many walks, and car rides. I paint as a hobby and the people at the art supply store have come to know her and ask where she is if I ever end up going without her. She even makes a fantastic hiking, swimming, and road trip partner. She has sat in my lap for thousands of hours of video games and movies. She motivates me to stay in school and finish. I’ve told her countless times, “I promise you’ll be there to see the day when I graduate.”
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Since her puppyhood kennel cough she has been the epitome of health and energy. Until now.
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Recently she was having troubles peeing and lost a lot of weight. At first they thought it was just an uncomplicated kidney infection, but as it turns out she has a large tumor growing inside of her uterus. At the time of writing this, her veterinarian can’t even give me ballpark expectation of what her surgery will cost.
When I got back from that vet visit, I just sat in the grass with Niko and cried my little eyes out. She did as she always does, she refused to let me be sad. She tackled me with all 5lbs of her little, furry body and licked my face until her tongue was about to fall off.
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Her biopsy results of the growth were very positive and came back as benign. They are very optimistic that with this surgery they will be able to remedy the problem and prevent future complications, granting her many more years of a happy life. Even as she wears the “cone of shame” she just so freaking happy and positive.
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Please, help me save my best friend’s life and keep her being a puppy for many more years.
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Thank you for your time,
-Brett


Here she is with a new set of eyebrows

Hi!

 
Always playing

Niko on one of her many hikes.


Out hiking in the mountains

One of Brett's favorite pictures of her


Sleeping buddies

Niko is the happiest passenger ever

Sleeping in her favorite spot, Brett's lap.

Seeing eye to eye

This was Niko yesterday, wearing the cone of shame while she waits for surgery. Even while wearing it, you can see how happy she is with that blur of a tail.