Alvin the Retired Bomb Dog

My name is Ryan, and Alvin is my retired bomb dog who served with me for 5 years out of my 10 years of military service. Alvin has been retired for 2 years and, within the past month, has experienced a rapid decrease in health. Alvin was rushed to the emergency vet on August 11, 2022 with swollen limbs, unable to sit, eat, walk around, etc. He was diagnosed with Polyarthropathy. Paying just over $3,000 out of pocket for his treatments, the lump on his neck was not a concern at the time. August 24, 2022, Alvin scratched at the lump on his neck, causing some minor bleeding. On the night of August 25, 2022, Alvin managed to scratch at this lump on his neck, caused severe bleeding and was rushed to the emergency vet again. It took the team of Veterinary personnel over an hour to stop the bleeding. The Vet broke the news of severe bleeding to the left ventricle mass on his neck, and needs to be surgically biopsied and potentially removed due to the bleeding. Anesthesia, medications, biopsy testing, and surgery is estimated to cost $11,000-$12,000. Alvin has put his life on the line and saved many lives in many combat zones. As he ages, this is to be expected, but not how he deserves to end his amazing life.