Help Save Dook’s Life!

Many of you know my advocacy work as the Founder and Executive Director of Foster/Adopt North Carolina. I am taking a temporary hiatus from my rescue work to care for my fiancé and I’s babyboy ferret, Dook, AKA, “Monkey” as he fights for his life. He just turned one year old.

Overnight Dook went from being a healthy baby (he just turned one) to not eating, in excruciating pain, unable to walk with a fever of 104 accomponied by tachycardia. We took him to the ER several times and he has been hospitalized several days in the ICU. While he does not have an official diagnosis at this point, his veterinarian thinks he likely has an extremely rare disease called Dissiminated Idiopathic Myofacitis. We are awaiting a biopsy and additional testing. Our hope and prayer is that this will not be fatal, but he will go into remission and heal so he can live a long and beautiful life.

We have spent thousands on ER and hospitalization bills and truly need support in caring for our little guy at this point, as we are traveling and taking time off from work to care for him. He is on multiple medications, and goes in for pain management injections and fluids which are both costly. We also need financial support in buying him bottles, puppy pads, a water therapy tub, comfort items, critical care food etc. The treatment for DIM is chemotherapy, steroids and antibiotics, with multiple vet visits/blood draws and possible hospitalizations his treatment will likely be thousands of dollars.

Dook has his boxing gloves on and is ready to fight, and we are fighting for him! Dook truly is a gift. I knew from the first moment they placed him in my arms he was special. He is incredibly loving, gentle and affectionate. He is a “little nurse” and nurses the other ferrets back to health when they are sick. He loves to be held and rocked like a baby, and gives sweet kisses. He loves mashed potatoes with butter and will eat from a fork/drink from a cup. He is our everything and brings so much joy into our lives every single day.

On behalf of Foster/Adopt North Carolina, we are eternally grateful for your outpouring of prayers and incredible generosity. The sooner my boy gets better, the sooner I can continue our advocacy work and saving shelter pups from euthanasia.