For the Love of June
Donation protected
Meet June.
June is a 10-yr old pit/lab mix that my partner, Emilio and I rescued from a shelter in Pittsburgh, PA in 2013. From the moment we saw her, we both knew we had found our perfect match. She has been incredibly grateful and loving. For close to a decade, she has been my family and has supported me emotionally and helped to give me comfort during my most challenging times. She sleeps next to me on my pillow, (most often between us! ) travels with us everywhere we go, helps me stay focused on my school work and is rarely far from my side.
In November 2020, I noticed June’s lymph nodes were enlarged. When all the diagnostics came back, it was determined that June had high grade B-cell lymphoma. This form of canine cancer is treatable and the outcome is favorable if caught in time and treated appropriately with chemotherapy. Treatment costs exceed $8,000, however, and as a full time student working part time, those costs have impacted Emilio and myself, on a scale that is insurmountable. For those that love animals, you can understand that we do what we can to make sure our so loved animals are treated with dignity. We did our due diligence to research and explore all options to help June. In our case, we decided to go ahead with treatment, as the oncologist explained that without treatment, her prognosis was 3 months and it would be painful for her. She further explained that with treatment, she would continue to live her life free from pain while she remains in remission.
Last month, I started a fundraiser on Waggle and raised $2000, the maximum allowed on Waggle, which was enough to cover a portion of June’s treatment. She is doing great and has responded very well to the treatment. June’s lymph nodes are now small and symmetrical and she is in full remission. She still needs to remain in treatment for 16 weeks. The chemotherapy has had little effect on her sweet disposition. She is given anti-nausea medication - and for those that know June, it’s hardly needed. She is happy to go on walks, run in the field, eat as much as she is allowed and sleep as much as she wants. Always smiling, always kind. As her treatment continues, we worry about how to address the cost of the next two cycles of chemotherapy and continuing care. We have therefore set up a new fundraiser on GoFundMe to allow us to continue to raise money for her treatment. I hope those that know June, Emilio and I know how important it is for us to keep our little family intact. We not only are treating June for us, but most importantly for June - as she is the most loving girl that has the ability to bring a smile to everyone she meets.
Emilio and I are so grateful for the incredible support we have received so far, and humbled by the many people who want to help a dog who needs saving, and her humans who were saved by her. Thank you for helping us save June.
June is a 10-yr old pit/lab mix that my partner, Emilio and I rescued from a shelter in Pittsburgh, PA in 2013. From the moment we saw her, we both knew we had found our perfect match. She has been incredibly grateful and loving. For close to a decade, she has been my family and has supported me emotionally and helped to give me comfort during my most challenging times. She sleeps next to me on my pillow, (most often between us! ) travels with us everywhere we go, helps me stay focused on my school work and is rarely far from my side.
In November 2020, I noticed June’s lymph nodes were enlarged. When all the diagnostics came back, it was determined that June had high grade B-cell lymphoma. This form of canine cancer is treatable and the outcome is favorable if caught in time and treated appropriately with chemotherapy. Treatment costs exceed $8,000, however, and as a full time student working part time, those costs have impacted Emilio and myself, on a scale that is insurmountable. For those that love animals, you can understand that we do what we can to make sure our so loved animals are treated with dignity. We did our due diligence to research and explore all options to help June. In our case, we decided to go ahead with treatment, as the oncologist explained that without treatment, her prognosis was 3 months and it would be painful for her. She further explained that with treatment, she would continue to live her life free from pain while she remains in remission.
Last month, I started a fundraiser on Waggle and raised $2000, the maximum allowed on Waggle, which was enough to cover a portion of June’s treatment. She is doing great and has responded very well to the treatment. June’s lymph nodes are now small and symmetrical and she is in full remission. She still needs to remain in treatment for 16 weeks. The chemotherapy has had little effect on her sweet disposition. She is given anti-nausea medication - and for those that know June, it’s hardly needed. She is happy to go on walks, run in the field, eat as much as she is allowed and sleep as much as she wants. Always smiling, always kind. As her treatment continues, we worry about how to address the cost of the next two cycles of chemotherapy and continuing care. We have therefore set up a new fundraiser on GoFundMe to allow us to continue to raise money for her treatment. I hope those that know June, Emilio and I know how important it is for us to keep our little family intact. We not only are treating June for us, but most importantly for June - as she is the most loving girl that has the ability to bring a smile to everyone she meets.
Emilio and I are so grateful for the incredible support we have received so far, and humbled by the many people who want to help a dog who needs saving, and her humans who were saved by her. Thank you for helping us save June.
Organizer
Tracy Zeigfinger
Organizer
Gaithersburg, MD