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Help Our Beloved Family Dog Walk Again
Our beloved family dog, Cinnamon, needs surgery that will cost between $7500 and $10,000. She was my comfort as I battled cancer, and she is a loving light in our family. She went through a harrowing experience which resulted in this injury and survived it with her usual patience and goodwill. Please help us give her back her health.
Meet Cinnamon
Back in June of 2009, my daughter spotted Cinnamon in a cage at the Santa Ana Animal Shelter. Looking at us through the bars, her tiny raised paw and loving light brown eyes made us melt. Cinnamon was only three months old at the time and nestled easily in our arms. When we returned to complete the adoption, she was the only puppy left. We believe that she was waiting for us.
As she grew to become a vital part of our family, she learned good manners, tricks, and developed a love for coffee. On family walks, she made us laugh, jumping like a kangaroo to chase lizards and insects. Last year, Cinnamon was my steadfast companion and support through my battle with cancer, lying in her bed next to me for hours.
What Happened
Last month, my husband Thomas, took Cinnamon on a camping trip to
Florence Lake in the Sierra National Forest. They went with our good
friend and his dog Kudo, who is Cinnamon’s best canine friend. For two
days, they camped and hiked, and had a marvelous time. On the third
day, Thomas decided to take Cinnamon on a hike around the lake. The day
was hot and sunny, and the water was deliciously cool, so he decided to
go for a swim. Cinnamon is a well-behaved girl. She and Kudo had been
unleashed at the campsite without wandering off, so Thomas waded into
the water while she stood on the bank. As he swam a short distance
along the shoreline, she followed along on the dry ground. Because she was
focused on him, she didn’t see a drop in the ground ahead of her and
fell about eight feet to the hard rocks and dirt below.
Thomas saw the fall and saw her get to her feet right away. There was no place low enough for access from the water, so quickly swam back to his entry point. By the time he got to where she had fallen, she was nowhere to be found. Though he looked for hours, asking at the nearby general store, and around the campsite, he could not find her. The following day, he resumed his search, but the friend who had accompanied him had to return for work, so they had no choice but to leave without our beloved Cinnamon. Understandably, my husband was beside himself.
When we got the call with the news, our son Sebastian and I were in shock. We decided to go up to the lake to look for her. Without a thought of proper equipment or supplies, we frantically, and admittedly foolishly, made the long drive to find our girl. On the drive up the winding mountain road, we saw bears, rattlesnakes, a badger, and bats, and I couldn’t help but wonder how our sweet girl could survive in the wild. Our first trip up was fruitless, as we were completely unprepared.
But we hadn’t given up: besides the joy she brought to our family, Cinnamon had given me endless love and support during my cancer, and I knew that it was my time to fight for her. With advice from amazing and caring dog rescuers, Mike Noon and Babs Fry, we made a second trip up. This time, we were prepared to stay for a week, with fliers and all the supplies we could need.
At the lake, we circulated our fliers everywhere, posting them on stakes anywhere a car might see them. On the advice of the dog rescuers, we set up a trap and camera in the area where Cinnamon had fallen. There had been reports of a family who had found a stray dog and wanted to keep it, but we couldn’t find the family. Days went by with no new information or sightings. Once again, we headed home with no Cinnamon.
Finally a Break
It was a long, quiet ride home. The day after our return, we got the call. The owner at the general store, who had been so gracious about taking our fliers and giving us advice, had a dog who had been brought in by a hiker. The collar and tags matched Cinnamon! She was found!! But although she was safe, she was not in good condition and needed immediate medical attention.
We got right back in the car and headed up. Because it was already afternoon, we knew we couldn’t make it before late night. The general store owner had a friend who was an off-duty officer. She was willing to transport Cinnamon, despite rainy conditions, to the nearest police station below the mountain. Her kindness saved us four hours of driving on winding mountain roads in the rain and darkness. The officer on duty at the station brought her to Auberry Animal Hospital. The area was experiencing a power outage and Dr. Sallie K Phyllips graciously stayed
well past her normal hours, and despite the outage, until we arrived.
When Cinnamon saw us, she raised her head and began wagging her tail. If we had had tails, we would have wagged them, too! The doctor had removed an object from Cinnamon’s eye and provided us with medication and detailed instructions for her care. We were overwhelmed with relief at finding her, at her no longer being lost and injured in the wilderness, and at all the kindness shown by strangers.
Back at home, we followed Dr. Phyllips’ advice and set up an appointment with our local vet. Cinnamon began to regain her strength, and we began to learn her cues for needing to visit the grass. By the third day, she began hobbling on her own for short distances, either to visit the grass or be near her loved ones.
The news from the vet was not heartening: her surgery would repair the overstretched and torn ligaments in her right front leg. The bill for the surgery will be over $7,500, an amount that is impossible for us.
At eleven years old, our girl has plenty of years ahead of her and deserves to live them out in as much comfort as possible. It has taken two months for her initial wounds to heal and body weight to regain her normal body weight. This healing process has been slow however we are fully committed to supporting her through this last phase of healing. A splint can no longer help her condition, restricting her ability with basic movements and surgery is the only option at this point. This is needed as soon as possible.
If you have had a beloved family pet, you know what these moments are like. Please consider contributing anything you can, even if it’s just a few dollars, so we can help her recover fully from her terrible experience. We appreciate every single dollar.
Our beloved family dog, Cinnamon, needs surgery that will cost between $7500 and $10,000. She was my comfort as I battled cancer, and she is a loving light in our family. She went through a harrowing experience which resulted in this injury and survived it with her usual patience and goodwill. Please help us give her back her health.
Meet Cinnamon
Back in June of 2009, my daughter spotted Cinnamon in a cage at the Santa Ana Animal Shelter. Looking at us through the bars, her tiny raised paw and loving light brown eyes made us melt. Cinnamon was only three months old at the time and nestled easily in our arms. When we returned to complete the adoption, she was the only puppy left. We believe that she was waiting for us.
As she grew to become a vital part of our family, she learned good manners, tricks, and developed a love for coffee. On family walks, she made us laugh, jumping like a kangaroo to chase lizards and insects. Last year, Cinnamon was my steadfast companion and support through my battle with cancer, lying in her bed next to me for hours.
What Happened
Last month, my husband Thomas, took Cinnamon on a camping trip to
Florence Lake in the Sierra National Forest. They went with our good
friend and his dog Kudo, who is Cinnamon’s best canine friend. For two
days, they camped and hiked, and had a marvelous time. On the third
day, Thomas decided to take Cinnamon on a hike around the lake. The day
was hot and sunny, and the water was deliciously cool, so he decided to
go for a swim. Cinnamon is a well-behaved girl. She and Kudo had been
unleashed at the campsite without wandering off, so Thomas waded into
the water while she stood on the bank. As he swam a short distance
along the shoreline, she followed along on the dry ground. Because she was
focused on him, she didn’t see a drop in the ground ahead of her and
fell about eight feet to the hard rocks and dirt below.
Thomas saw the fall and saw her get to her feet right away. There was no place low enough for access from the water, so quickly swam back to his entry point. By the time he got to where she had fallen, she was nowhere to be found. Though he looked for hours, asking at the nearby general store, and around the campsite, he could not find her. The following day, he resumed his search, but the friend who had accompanied him had to return for work, so they had no choice but to leave without our beloved Cinnamon. Understandably, my husband was beside himself.
When we got the call with the news, our son Sebastian and I were in shock. We decided to go up to the lake to look for her. Without a thought of proper equipment or supplies, we frantically, and admittedly foolishly, made the long drive to find our girl. On the drive up the winding mountain road, we saw bears, rattlesnakes, a badger, and bats, and I couldn’t help but wonder how our sweet girl could survive in the wild. Our first trip up was fruitless, as we were completely unprepared.
But we hadn’t given up: besides the joy she brought to our family, Cinnamon had given me endless love and support during my cancer, and I knew that it was my time to fight for her. With advice from amazing and caring dog rescuers, Mike Noon and Babs Fry, we made a second trip up. This time, we were prepared to stay for a week, with fliers and all the supplies we could need.
At the lake, we circulated our fliers everywhere, posting them on stakes anywhere a car might see them. On the advice of the dog rescuers, we set up a trap and camera in the area where Cinnamon had fallen. There had been reports of a family who had found a stray dog and wanted to keep it, but we couldn’t find the family. Days went by with no new information or sightings. Once again, we headed home with no Cinnamon.
Finally a Break
It was a long, quiet ride home. The day after our return, we got the call. The owner at the general store, who had been so gracious about taking our fliers and giving us advice, had a dog who had been brought in by a hiker. The collar and tags matched Cinnamon! She was found!! But although she was safe, she was not in good condition and needed immediate medical attention.
We got right back in the car and headed up. Because it was already afternoon, we knew we couldn’t make it before late night. The general store owner had a friend who was an off-duty officer. She was willing to transport Cinnamon, despite rainy conditions, to the nearest police station below the mountain. Her kindness saved us four hours of driving on winding mountain roads in the rain and darkness. The officer on duty at the station brought her to Auberry Animal Hospital. The area was experiencing a power outage and Dr. Sallie K Phyllips graciously stayed
well past her normal hours, and despite the outage, until we arrived.
When Cinnamon saw us, she raised her head and began wagging her tail. If we had had tails, we would have wagged them, too! The doctor had removed an object from Cinnamon’s eye and provided us with medication and detailed instructions for her care. We were overwhelmed with relief at finding her, at her no longer being lost and injured in the wilderness, and at all the kindness shown by strangers.
Back at home, we followed Dr. Phyllips’ advice and set up an appointment with our local vet. Cinnamon began to regain her strength, and we began to learn her cues for needing to visit the grass. By the third day, she began hobbling on her own for short distances, either to visit the grass or be near her loved ones.
The news from the vet was not heartening: her surgery would repair the overstretched and torn ligaments in her right front leg. The bill for the surgery will be over $7,500, an amount that is impossible for us.
At eleven years old, our girl has plenty of years ahead of her and deserves to live them out in as much comfort as possible. It has taken two months for her initial wounds to heal and body weight to regain her normal body weight. This healing process has been slow however we are fully committed to supporting her through this last phase of healing. A splint can no longer help her condition, restricting her ability with basic movements and surgery is the only option at this point. This is needed as soon as possible.
If you have had a beloved family pet, you know what these moments are like. Please consider contributing anything you can, even if it’s just a few dollars, so we can help her recover fully from her terrible experience. We appreciate every single dollar.