Help Charlie Stop Leaking

Co-organized

Jeff D and Linzy Bingcang are organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

Hello!

My wife and I adopted Charlie in February 2021 from the anti-euthanasia shelter Wags & Walks in Los Angeles. Charlie is a handsome dachshund-mix, full of quirkiness, positivity, and love for life. Charlie is happiest running around the park and sniffing the entire world, and he charms everyone he meets (including veterinarians).

Along with his joy and charm, he has a variety of medical and behavioral needs (some of which we knew when we adopted him and some we have discovered along the way). Charlie is fully deaf (he sleeps through our apartment fire alarm), and his congenital issues include fused vertebrae in his spine and malformations in his urinary tract/genitals, making him highly susceptible to urinary tract infections (UTI) and involuntary urinary leaking (incontinence). In addition to these medical conditions, Charlie is highly anxious which manifests as reactivity toward other dogs and separation anxiety.

Through all of these challenges, we do our best to support him. Charlie "won" the genetic lottery with his congenital health issues, but he is a fighter and we are determined to fight alongside him to ensure he has the best quality of life. Charlie has experienced constant discomfort, numerous rounds of antibiotics (including some he has now developed resistance to), sleepless nights, unpredictable incontinence, and specialized anxiety training programs to help him with his mental health along with physical health. His chronic UTI’s (~20 infections in 8 months) have led us to spend thousands of dollars on CT scans, ultrasounds, antibiotics, urinalysis, cultures, and other medical expenses. Unfortunately with all his pre-existing health conditions, we never qualified for any pet insurance options, so all expenses have been out of pocket, which is not easy on two public school teacher salaries.

After being referred to UC Davis for specialized care, we have finally managed to schedule another surgery to reconstruct and repair his urethral issues, ureter abnormalities, and other risk factors for future recurrent UTIs. We have met so many amazing people on this crazy journey with Charlie, and appreciate any help you can give to pay for his $8500 surgery/medical/travel expenses and his recovery toward a better quality of life.

If you want to see Charlie's adventures, follow him on Instagram: @charlie4mayor