I'm Angie Lawrence, and I'm raising funds for my sweet boy, Louie. He is 11 years old, but you'd never guess it. He can run zoomies with the best of them, loves to play and go for adventures, or just hang out on our little deck and spy on the world below.

Louie is a friendly, goofy, happy boy who came to me initially as a foster dog from Roswell, New Mexico, in May 2017. His passions include squeaky destruction, stuffy toys, getting his daily cookies, naps on the couch, and plying more cookies out of unsuspecting victims. Lucky for me, he never left—I failed as a foster. He is my joy and my daily sunshine.

In July 2024, Louie's bloodwork revealed liver alkaline phosphatase levels that were extremely elevated, which prompted an ultrasound in October 2024. The ultrasound showed sludge in his gallbladder and a small mass on his spleen. The aspirate of his spleen came back benign, so he was started on a prescription medication.

This June, Louie had a second ultrasound to check his progress. The sludge in his gallbladder is not as thick, and his alkaline phosphatase levels have continued to drop back closer to the normal range. The small mass on his spleen has not changed. All great news for which I'm very thankful. His liver health is moving in the right direction.

I had noticed a small bump on the rear portion of Louie's left front leg, so I asked my vet to aspirate it while he was sedated for his ultrasound in June. That lump turned out to be a mast cell tumor.

Louie was initially scheduled for August 7th to have a dental extraction done, but now he will be having the tumor removed in conjunction with the dental. I have faith my vet (who is amazing) will get good margins on the tumor and that it's low grade. Due to its location, she will have to be particularly careful with the surgery to remove enough tissue but still maintain function.

These surgeries come at a time that is particularly tough for me, financially. Like many others who don't have the support of a second income, recent years of rent increases, cost of living increases, and lack of significant pay increases have come together to form a perfect storm of sorts. The old saying, "When it rains, it pours," is certainly accurate at times.

So, I've created my first-ever GoFundMe. For Louie. I lost two of my dogs before Louie to cancer. I fought for them until they let me know that it was time for them to rest. And I'll do the same for my boy, to the best of my ability. He is an overall very healthy boy who has a ton of life to live. Louie and I thank you for reading, caring, sharing, and/or donating to our cause.