A Second Chance for Ladybug: Her Journey Battling Cancer

Story

I picked up Ladybug from Riverside Shelter on January 29th. California Bully Rescue took a chance on a sweet older pitty who didn't have much time left at the shelter and I agreed to foster her until we could find her a forever home. But very quickly, Anthony and I realized she was never meant to leave our home and she knew it too. On March 25th, she officially became ours - a new addition to the Rogosic pack. She is our third “foster fail” out of over 50 dogs we’ve fostered in the past five years. This sweet, once-discarded girl with no teeth completed our family the moment she arrived. Though two weeks after her adoption, a physical exam revealed devastating news: Ladybug has an aggressive form of cancer. The diagnosis hit us hard, especially since we lost our last pitty girl, Sammy, to the same type of cancer not too long ago. Still, we made her a promise - that we would give her the very best second chance at life. After several medical consultations, we made the decision to move forward with an invasive surgery to give her a fighting chance. Ladybug had six mast cell tumors removed, and while the surgical team at VCA was amazing, one tumor had already metastasized to her lymph node. Her prognosis is now challenging, but we aren't giving up. After a long conversation with medical oncology at VCA, we’ve decided to start chemotherapy for our girl. This hasn’t been an easy choice, and her quality of life will always be our top priority. Deep down, I believe Sammy sent us Ladybug because she still deserves to sunbathe, chase squirrels, and curl up next to her people for as long as her body will allow. This GoFundMe is to help cover some of Ladybug’s ongoing medical care, now that her pet insurance has been exhausted. If you're able to contribute or even just share her story, we would be incredibly grateful. The rescue community means so much to us, and we will always fight to give every dog who enters our home the love, dignity, and care they deserve no matter their age or diagnosis. Thank you for supporting Ladybug's journey. Your kindness means everything.