Hi friends,

I'm organizing a fundraiser for Sara and Stevie (her dog) to help cover the cost of an unexpected $3,000 dental surgery.

The short: Stevie badly broke a molar and has exposed the root and she needs to have it removed to avoid infection and severe pain. The vet estimated the cost to be between $2600-3300. Stevie's previous medical issues have already depleted Sara's savings.

The long: Sara adopted Stevie just over a year ago in spring 2024 from a rescue in Mexico. We were told that she was a healthy, well-trained, problem-free young dog - just an absolutely perfect little angel. When we got her we realized that she actually had very little training and severe reactivity. Sara immediately invested in an expensive and reputable trainer to help us work through these challenges. Next came the series of medical issues: severe gastrointestinal inflammation and bleeding, allergic reactions, yeast infections, hookworm infection, ear infection, eye infection, leg pain and limping, unusual plaque build-up requiring a dental cleaning, spear grass lodged in her ear canal requiring sedation for removal, constant anal gland issues... I'm honestly probably even forgetting some of the reasons we've had to take her to the vet over the past year. But, despite the expenses and stress and exhaustion, Sara has been devoted to Stevie's well-being, administering endless drops, pills, ointments, supplements, medicated baths, weird hygiene routines, etc.

Sara is also chronically ill and on disability, mostly unable to work. She thought it would be a fine, responsible choice to adopt Stevie because she had put aside quite a bit of savings. Unfortunately, Stevie has now depleted the savings.

We were so happy to see that our efforts were paying off and Stevie's health issues had all seemed to be clearing up when Sara noticed that Stevie had badly broken one of her molars, exposing the root. After a vet exam, it has been determined that the cheapest option is an extraction. Extracting the tooth is necessary to prevent infection and severe pain. The estimate from the vet for this procedure ranges from $2600-$3300. Sara has spent the past week calling around to every single resource she can find to try to secure funding or find a more affordable option, but unfortunately not much help is available.

From reading this, you can see that it has been a stressful, emotional roller coaster of a year with Stevie, but she also brings so much joy into our lives. Despite all of the pain and suffering she's been through, she's kept her spirits up and is always in a silly, playful, loving mood. Her training is coming along so well and her previous health issues all seem to be cleared up. We really, really hope that this is the last of her issues.

If you feel called to donate to her surgery, any amount is so so helpful and deeply appreciated. And if you feel like sharing this fundraiser to people you know, that's super helpful too.

Thank you for reading, and Stevie says hi!