Rose's Emergency Surgery Costs

I adopted Rose from Dakin Animal Shelter in late February. She has been a sweet, playful girl who has brought much joy to my home, and she just turned two years old in early May.

A few weeks ago, overnight on a Saturday night, she managed to swallow 4 feet worth of a string toy. The next morning, she had gotten sick and lethargic and wasn’t interested in food. I realized that the string toy was missing and rushed her to Tufts Veterinary Hospital, which was open on weekends. I was told she needed emergency abdominal surgery because there was a high risk that the string would get caught up and twisted in the small intestine and potentially cause a perforation of the intestine, which could be fatal. My choice was surgery to save her or no surgery and risk it killing her. The cost of the surgery was $5,250, and I charged it on my credit card.

The next day, she came home with a 5-inch incision the length of her belly and a 14-day post-op order of being crated, coned, and drugged to keep her calm while she healed. The living room became her convalescent space, and I took time off from work to care for her. Friends also helped with watching her at times, and for that, I am grateful. She received much love from the humans in her life.

I am so happy that she made it through and is now on the mend. Her playfulness is returning, and she’s sporting a sweet scar that she can show off! Even though the surgery cost over $5,000, I am only hoping to raise a goal of $3,000 so that I can pay off the credit card quickly and avoid interest fees. Rose and I thank you for any donation amount to help us reach that goal!