Rusti's vet bills

Rusti is a three-year-old yellow Labrador retriever. She has been my guide dog for more than a year now. In that time, she's been extremely healthy.

Last week, upon returning from her first cross-country trip, she became lethargic, refused to eat, and vomited frequently.  At first, I thought she was just reacting badly to the stress of travel. We had been to a convention in Las Vegas, and we'd been surrounded by approximately 1500 other blind people, their guide dogs and canes. It was overwhelming for me, so I assumed it was for Rusti, too.

She hadn't improved by Monday of this week, so I took her to her veterinarian. At first, pancreatitis was suspected. We assumed that Rusti had eaten some food item that didn't agree with her. However, after some additional testing, the vet suspected an intestinal blockage.  On Tuesday morning, Rusti had emergency exploratory surgery. The veterinarian removed a foreign body from her intestine. Without the surgery, Rusti would have died.

She saves my life on a regular basis; how could I not do the same for her?

Now, I am faced with a large vet bill. I live on a fixed income, and while I can take care of the normal expenses associated with a dog, this is not a normal expense.

Thanks in advance for whatever help you can give. I know times are tough for everyone right now. If you can't donate money, please share this page with as many people as you can.