Maude’s Spinal Surgery

Meet Maude.  She is our sweet (almost) 7 year old standard poodle. I (Kevin) used to volunteer at a shelter when Maude (then 6 months old) was brought in. She had been found wandering the streets of downtown Saint Louis and previously been kept at a different facility before being transferred to ours.  We had an instant connection and I chose to foster her in order to prevent her from suffering more trauma from being kept in a facility.  Over the course of the following months, I worked with Maude and she became to develop into the kind, sweet diva that she is now.  I eventually made the choice to make Maude part of my family and we have been together since.  She has bonded with my parents, friends, and loved ones in the years since and continues to be full of energy, light, and kindness (with a little bit of diva attitude).  We have been through many ups and downs together and she continues to be a source of stability for me in my life. 

In the last year, she and I have made great strides together. A year ago, I found her another dad (Seth) with whom she shared an instant connection and bond. Together, we brought her a baby brother (another standard poodle), Merle, in August.  He is a part of her life that she hates to love (and loves to hate).  She has been at the core of our adventures together as a couple and we hope to share much more of our lives together with her. 


Unfortunately, Kevin was taking Maude outside earlier this week and she became unable to walk.  Maude had to be rushed to the emergency vet and was then transferred to a veterinary neurologist at the University of Missouri for special care. She was diagnosed with a disc herniation with a compressed spinal cord.  This will require Maude to have spinal surgery at the cost of up to $6000 in addition to the medical expenses we have already incurred to diagnose her, which total over $3500.  We are reaching out to our friends, family, loved ones, pet lovers, whoever has interest in our story to help us offset some of these costs in any way possible. We will keep working until find a way to keep this sweet diva in our lives! Thank you for the time to listen to our story and for any contribution you can make, even if it is just sharing on your own social media.

-Kevin, Seth, Maude, & Merle