Hello,

My name is Penny. I am a 19-week-old Golden Retriever puppy. I was lucky enough to cross paths with my Human companion, Alexis.

“Why so ‘lucky’?” you may ask. Long story short, I was recently diagnosed with not one, but TWO congenital abnormalities: a diaphragmatic hernia (there was no barrier to keep my intestines and other yuckies from migrating from my abdomen and into my chest, pressing against my lungs and making it really hard to breathe) and an ectopic ureter (one of my pee-pee tubes went from my kidney, bypassing my bladder, and went straight to my, ahem … my girlie part). 

Since the first abnormality was a life-threatening condition, I went under the knife less than 24 hours after being diagnosed. 

My hero is Dr. Jason Horgan, of LeadER Animal Specialty Hospital in Cooper City, Florida. He was able to rearrange my insides to their proper place and make them “stay.” Just like I stay … sometimes. Hey, I’m a puppy … I’m still learning to stay. Oh, yeah …and I got a really cool zipper on my tummy, too! Just look at my photo. 

While Dr. Horgan was fixing up my insides, he decided to have a looksy at my ureter issue, and he seems to have addressed that as well. I no longer leak like I did before. Yay!!!

Is there still pee-pee on the floor? You betcha … I said I no longer “leak,” not that I don’t have “accidents.” Remember, I am still just a puppy … and an adorable one at that! Again, look at my pics. Lord knows I’ve posed for enough of them! But now that I can breathe better, good luck catching me sitting still!!!

Anywho, since my Human companion loves me so much, she paid a lot of money to put me back together again … better even than Mother Nature did. Thank you, Dr. Horgan!

So far, my vet expenses are approaching $5,000. What makes matters worse is that Alexis picked me, out of all my litter mates, to be a service dog to help her with her anxiety. However, my condition has only made it worse; making her sad, which makes me sad, too.

While we did ask the breeders to help with these unforeseen expenses, they eventually elected to follow the letter of the law and not the spirit. They have declined to assist my Human companion help me get better. Alexis is currently a student at Florida International University and paying to make me all better is very hard for her to do. 

Please help my Human companion to pay my vet bills so I can do what I was meant to do: to help Alexis be less anxious in this crazy, mixed-up world we live in. So far, taking care of me has been very stressful for her. But, she loves me very much and I love her. We both know that we were meant to be together.

Please help in any way you can. It doesn’t need to be a lot, but if a lot of you puppy lovers help with more than is needed, Alexis will help two of my litter mates, Maggie (aka “Puddles”) and Stella, who also were each born with a congenital abnormality. If there is still money left over, my Human companion will donate the rest to the Humane Society.

Thank you for reading my story. It’s not a sad story, really. It’s more a testament to what is possible when love and willpower team up. Won’t you join my team, too?

Bye-bye for now. I feel this sudden urge to go have another “accident.”


Your furry four-legged friend,

‘Lucky’ Penny