Rupert's Medical Expenses

Two days before Thanksgiving, my sister and her partner put down their dog Rupert. For those of you that know Zoe and Heidi, you most likely knew Rupert. He loved walks and mud and chasing squirrels and singing, and his eyes were so soulful that he often won over the I-don’t-like-dogs people. As Heidi used to say, he was a human in a dog suit. At 10 years old, Rupert had been healthy and happy. Then, his cough began. 

Rupert started coughing in late June after a day spent chasing bumble bees. Their vet treated him for kennel cough, and when the cough didn’t go away, their vet gave them the same answer: kennel cough. In September, after three months of persistent coughing, Rupert was rushed to the emergency vet. He had a spontaneous pneumothorax - air in his chest cavity, outside of his lungs. Less than a week later, he was back at the emergency vet having difficulty breathing. This time, an air-filled cyst had burst, creating a vacuum that allowed air to be sucked into his pleural space. The vet brought Rupert into surgery, removing two lung lobes from his left lung. 

Although Zoe and Heidi were told the surgery would be curative, Rupert never recovered. His spontaneous pneumothorax reoccured. After 5 more visits to the vet to remove air from his chest cavity and after another failed procedure in November to patch the tear in his lung, Rupert was brought home to rest and say goodbye. He lived for three more days, snuggling with his family, eating special snacks, and laying in the sun.

I’m starting this GoFundMe to support Zoe and Heidi post Rupert’s death. Because they were told Rupert’s condition was curable, they persisted in their effort to save him. Yet, they lost Rupert and have been left with $15,000 in vet bills. I hope, as a community, we can help lighten their burden. All money raised will be put toward paying off Rupert's vet bills.

Thanks so much for your generousity!