Hi everyone…my name is Tara, and I will never forget getting the frantic phone call from my best friend that her beloved girl Charlie had been hit by a car.

 

I was the closest to her location and raced to get there. On approach, I could see two fire trucks blocking the opposing side of the street, and part of the road had been coned off separating where Charlie lay from the oncoming traffic. My heart just sunk.

 

A flurry of people surrounded her. A family walking nearby had witnessed it and attempted to stop the vehicle that hit Charlie but to no avail. The firemen and firewomen on the scene were using towels as a makeshift gurney. I kneeled on the ground next to Charlie. She was still breathing. I said her name, and she lifted her head to look at me. Her being able to do that gave me hope.

 

It was clear she was in excruciating pain. The incredible family who had provided

the towels had also called an emergency vet in the neighborhood and asked

them to stay open to receive Charlie. Their kindness and the fantastic frontline responders on the scene were undeniable examples of grace. It was a

juxtaposition to the questions being asked of who, how and why had a gate

been pried open that allowed her to get out.

 

The vet saw Charlie right away. Initially, no news was good news. It meant she made it through the night. After two days, she stabilized and was moved to an orthopedic vet. The prognosis consists of contusions to her lungs and bleeding in her stomach. The bigger concern is that her right hip is dislocated and will not stay in place and that her left back knee is shredded. They have operated on the knee and are planning an FHO hip surgery next. The doctors remain hopeful.

 

All of this brings me to the now. The financial impact this is having on her family is intense and immediate. Over a few days, thousands have been spent on her care, which has depleted funds and stretched credit cards to the max. More will be required with the subsequent surgery as well as her yet-to-be-determined time in an animal rehab facility, which is necessary to help her walk again.

 

Her family needs your help. Her hooman 8-year-old brother and 10-year-old sister need their Charlie back. The three-month-old pup they rescued from a shelter four years ago has grown into a beautiful, silly, vocal, precocious fluff ball. Charlie came into their lives during a tough time and has provided emotional support and unconditional love. This sweet creature captures the heart of anyone who meets her and the silence in the house now just amplifies the gaping hole left without her.

 

Any help offsetting these emergency medical expenses and rehab for her recovery would be greatly appreciated.