Hi everyone, as most of you know, I am a self-employed dog walker, trainer, and boarder, and absolutely love my job, clients, and the dog community here in San Francisco. Unfortunately, I have been dealing with a fractured back and herniated disk for much of my life, and over the last few years, my condition has worsened, making the pain too unbearable to treat without surgery (many alternative avenues have been attempted). While my insurance covers much of the cost of the surgery itself, the out-of-pocket expenses from appointments and testing, in addition to my cost of living, have become quite burdensome and overwhelming. Being self-employed, I do not have sick time, paid time off, or earn income when I am not actively working. Over the past 9+ months, I have been training 2 assistants in an attempt to continue providing the best, most seamless service to our clients while I am recovering. Hiring and providing this extensive training has been an additional expense that has created financial hardship for us but was felt to be necessary to ensure the best care for our clients.

While it is very difficult for me to do so, I am humbly asking for donations, which would provide not just financial relief but also encouragement to me during this difficult time. Any support is deeply appreciated and would go towards supplementing our loss of income from not working, medical co-pays, and home improvements to make our living space more accessible for me. Any support, big or small, would mean the world to me while I am working hard to get back on my feet.