Help Charlie Keep Fetching the GIANT Sticks!

Hi!

I've created this fundraiser for my dear friend, Kristina Pugh, and her handsome, handsome, GQ, best doggie boy, hiking pal, retreat-center-community-mascot, champion GIANT stick fetcher, CHARLIE—aka Prince Charles—aka C!! ❤️❤️❤️

Kristina never really thought of herself as a dog owner...until one day, out of the blue...she heard the call to adopt a dog. The call was so strong and so clear, that she just KNEW she had to follow it.

Enter Prince Charles, aka Charlie!❤️

Little did Kristina know that within weeks of adopting Charlie her entire world as she knew it would be turned completely upside down. Charlie was there with her through it all. And as all dog lovers know, our precious fur babies are ALWAYS a MAJOR part of helping us get through to the other side of life's biggest challenges.

Fast forward to a little over a year ago: Kristina was called once again, this time to sell her house, leave behind her precious friends, family and students in North Carolina, and move to the Himalayan Institute to become the Director of Marketing—to follow her huge heart of service. Living and working at the Institute does not normally lend itself to owning a pet, but Kristina knew she could never leave Charlie behind...so they found a way to make it work!

Kristina and Charlie have been nothing short of a ✨BRILLIANT✨BRIGHT✨FUN✨LOVING✨addition to the HI community and mission. Their presence on the HI campus has brought so much✨JOY✨to so many—residents and guests alike.

But the last year has not been easy on Sir Prince Charles. Shortly after arriving to his new home at HI, and just when he was getting into full hiking and GIANT stick-fetching season, he suffered an ACL tear in his left knee. The good news is: Charlie was able to have a surgery done to repair this torn ACL and with time, love, and lots of physical therapy, has fully recovered. BUT...the bad news is: as life would have it...it's now happened again, on the other leg.

FACT: Doggie surgeries AND the physical therapy sessions that follow are NEVER cheap! Each of Charlie's ACL repair surgeries with follow-up physical therapy carries a price tag of $4000+.

FACT: Working for a small, non-profit organization definitely does NOT = $$$ growing on trees.

FACT: Kristina has a Heart of Service that is a MILLION times BIGGER than her BIG smile, BIG Laugh, BIG brain and BIG hair COMBINED!! ❤️Whenever there is a call for extra help at HI, be it dishwashing, floor sweeping, weed pulling, babysitting, anything—Kristina is ALWAYS the first to SHOW UP! PLUS she's an AMAZING cook and dessert baker—making yummy goodies for birthdays, going away parties, and even just for the heck of it or to say thank you to her always hard-working Creative Services Team. She is a Momma Bear extraordinaire!!

FACT: When Kristina is not busy making the lives of HI residents as well as its guests and students more rich and joyful, she teaches yoga and pilates too!

FACT: Kristina has a personal medical procedure of her own that she was supposed to have done in early December, but is now considering postponing it just so she can spread out some of the debt she is incurring with now having to pay off TWO surgeries for our beloved Charlie Boy.

If you feel inspired, please help us help Kristina and Charlie BOTH get the medical attention they need to continue being their BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY, JOY & LOVE-BESTOWING selves. A donation in ANY amount would be SO MUCH APPRECIATED. And/Or please help us spread the word by sharing this fundraiser with anyone you think might be interested and able to contribute.

p.s. Tomorrow, November 8th, is Kristina's birthday!! How great can we make it by getting this fundraiser off to a REALLY good start in the next 24 hours??

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONSIDERING!

Big Love and Gratitude,

Julie, Kristina & Charlie❤️