This GoFundMe is to help Steph and Kyle with the unexpected medical expenses from Ollie’s emergency care. Ollie was so loved, and we’re incredibly grateful for the kindness, support, and love surrounding them during this heartbreaking time.

Steph and Kyle wanted to share what happened in their own words below.

"On the morning of January 6th, we dropped Ollie off at our vet’s office for what was supposed to be a standard dental extraction. He had a resorptive lesion on one of his bottom canine teeth. Numerous trusted professionals assured us that the tooth simply had to come out and that if he wasn’t already in pain, he would be very soon. Despite my (Steph) extreme fear with putting him under anesthesia, we both felt that we had no choice but to have the tooth removed.

We got a call that the procedure was successful and he was recovering. We were scheduled to pick him up in a few hours. A short time later, he stopped breathing. Our vet and her team did everything they could to keep him alive. Eventually, he did start breathing on his own and his vitals were somewhat stable. After 6 excruciating hours, nearly all of them with us by his side, he finally woke up enough for us to transport him to UF.

He was hospitalized in the ICU immediately. His neurological function was minimal and his respiratory rate was barely compatible with life but he was doing his best to hang on.

Against the odds, he made it through the first night. On Wednesday, we had multiple conversations with the compassionate ICU vet that was assigned to his case. There were no obvious issues noted with his heart or lungs that explained why he stopped breathing initially. The concern now was whether his brain and body could heal itself from the hypoxia he experienced. The prognosis was bleak but we were assured there was a chance that with time, he could regain enough neurological function to live a somewhat normal life. It was not recommended that was visit him on Thursday, but there was a chance we could see him on Friday.

Unfortunately, we never got that chance. At 5 AM on Thursday morning, Kyle’s phone rang. We knew what was waiting for us on the other end before he ever answered the call. Ollie went into cardiac arrest. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. By the time we made it to UF to say goodbye, he was already gone. "

Steph and Kyle are currently experiencing the worst heartbreak and devastation imaginable. Our goal is to raise funds to help offset the unexpected financial burden they incurred. Any funds received in excess of their actual expenses will be donated directly to Faithful Friends Pet Rescue, which is the organization Ollie was adopted from.