Hi! My name is Akela, I’m a 6 year old Australian Shepherd and I really need your help!!

I’m usually happy and playful, and my momma says I'm very smart! I love playing ball, going on walks, riding in the car to the dog park or the store, squeaking my favorite toys, and hanging out with my friends (both human and furry!).

Lately... I haven’t been feeling so good. Ive been pretty good at hiding it, but recently my mom went on vacation and I couldn't hide it anymore.. My tummy hurt too much to eat while she was gone and I lost a lot of weight and started getting really tired. She did what was best for me and took me to spend a couple nights at the vet. While I was there they found a pretty big tumor near my heart, so now the doctors think I have something called T-Cell Lymphoma, which I guess is a pretty scary kind of cancer.... I need a biopsy done ASAP and chemo treatments to confirm the type of cancer so we know which treatments can give me the best chance to fight this -otherwise I'm looking roughly at only 3 months left to live, which isn't even enough time to see the beautiful Colorado snow again this winter.

I’m trying to stay strong — I still wiggle my whole booty (since I don't really have a tail), cuddle with my mom, and play when I can. I'm getting lots and lots of yummy chicken now that I can eat again, but what I really want is more time to make happy memories of swimming in the lake this summer, chasing my ball at the park, riding in the car, frolicking through the snow in the mountains and snuggling up with my loved ones as much as possible

My care is going to cost $5,500 to $11,000 — and my mom can’t do this alone. If you can help us, even a little, or share this with your friends, it would mean the world to us! Please, it's urgent; I need the biopsy done within the next 7 days (June 30) so I can find out which type of cancer it is for sure and then after that funds will be going towards whatever treatments are available for me, which I will also need MDR gene testing done to make sure the treatments are safe for me too.

It's a lot, but I have light in my eyes and pep in my step - I’m not ready to give up yet, and neither is my family - I have so many more adventures left to explore and love to give and receive . Thank you for helping me fight!!

Love,

Akela & Alyssa

About the funds:

Needed biopsy: $1150 -URGENT within 7 days (June 30)

MDR gene testing: $TBD

Chemo treatment plan: <$10k (his treatment is still TBD depending on the test results as well as my financial capabilities)

Current vet bills are $3840 at 34% interest

Literally anything and everything helps! Thank you so much