Help Nova Get the Care She Deserves

Help Nova Get the Care She Deserves

Hi everyone,

I’m reaching out with to ask for help for our sweet dog, Nova.

Nova comes from Alabama, through MuddyPawsRescue & straight into our hearts in NYC. I’ve had Nova since she was just 8 weeks old, and she’s been with me through so many chapters of life. She’s not just a pet—she’s family, one of my children. Now that she’s 8, she’s helping me raise my children, specifically my autistic toddler, who leans on her every single day. Nova calms her, grounds her, and brings peace in moments that can otherwise be overwhelming. She’s truly our four-legged support system, and we want to give her every chance to keep being that.

Lately, Nova’s been facing a series of serious health issues, and things have escalated quickly:

• A few years ago, we had one lump biopsied, and thankfully it was benign—but new ones have now appeared, and we can’t assume the same without proper testing.

Just this week, we noticed dried blood near her mouth, and after rushing her to the vet, we found out that her mouth folds are so swollen, her teeth are puncturing them when she bites down/ chews.

She’s also begun showing signs of a REM sleep disorder, and in one scary episode, her body woke up—but it was clear her mind hadn’t yet caught up.

We strongly suspects a neurological issue, and neuro testing is now our top priority—but it’s also the most expensive part of this process.

All of this combined is pushing her vet bills over $5,000, and we’re still just at the beginning stages of testing. Unfortunately, because of an emergency visit when she was a puppy for head tremors, I hadn’t applied for pet insurance yet, but when I did they marked that as a preexisting condition, and she’s been excluded from coverage for incidents like this.

I honestly hate asking for help. In January, I left my job to become a full-time caregiver to my autistic daughter, and while it was the best choice for our family, it has left us without the resources to take on something like this.

And that makes this part even harder: I know how tough things are for so many families right now. That’s why I don’t ask this lightly. But I believe in the power of community, and even $1 makes a difference—truly.

We’re doing everything we can to give Nova the care she needs to stay with us, healthy and HAPPY, for as long as she can. I haven’t told my kids all the details just yet, because we don’t want to scare them without answers. So if you know us personally and see this: please don’t say anything to the kids specifically until we know more and feel confident we can help her through this. They see the lumps and my older daughter was the one who noticed the blood around her mouth, as of right now, they are already concerned.

Whether you’re able to give, share, or just send good thoughts—from the bottom of my heart, thank you

With love and gratitude ,

Desiree