Help a wildlife-saving detection dog beat cancer

This is Indie - my working dog and best friend. I picked her up from a county shelter in 2018 on a whim after I went to “say hi to the puppies” on National Puppy Day. I’m a wildlife biologist, and in 2019 I got a cool opportunity to train her and my other dog for careers as conservation detection dogs. They both loved it, and we’ve been working on wind farms for six years now helping to locate birds and bats that have gotten struck down by wind turbine blades. The data they find helps energy companies understand their environmental impact and enables them to adjust their operations to reduce wildlife fatalities in the future. Sometimes the dogs even find live animals that are able to be rehabbed and released.

In May she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and X-rays showed it had metastasized. I was told radioactive iodine therapy was the only treatment option available that could potentially give her years instead of months. Radioactive iodine therapy is quite common for use in humans with thyroid cancer and cats with hyperthyroidism, but it is far less common as a treatment for thyroid cancer in dogs. Treating dogs with it is very expensive and logistically complicated, so few specialty clinics offer it. The closest one to our home is in Southern California - a seven hour drive away.

Funds raised will be used to help cover veterinary care related to her cancer diagnosis, including:

- Bloodwork and imaging to diagnose and stage her disease ($4,141)

- Radioactive iodine therapy ($11,171)

- Unexpected complications arising from the radioactive iodine therapy ($8,665)

- Follow up testing and diagnostics (est $3,874) through September of 2025, which is when her pet insurance plan renews.

Additional funds that will help cover costs include $9,744 from pet insurance, which was her remaining coverage balance at the time of diagnosis.

Indie a rockstar working dog. She is intuitive, sweet, fiercely loyal, and the perfect amount of sneaky. She is only 8 years old, and I thought I’d have so much more time with her. She has given her entire life to helping save animals, and I can’t imagine not doing everything in my power to help save her.

If you’re able to chip in a few dollars or share her story with anyone you know who loves dogs or wildlife, it would mean the world. The cost of her care is quickly becoming unmanageable for me with the complications she has suffered from her treatment. Your continued support is greatly appreciated.